Kim Dai-sik: Jang Donghyuk Could Not Meet JD Vance After Trump Called an Emergency Meeting
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- 2026-04-22 10:43:28
- Updated
- 2026-04-22 10:43:28
[The Financial News] Kim Dai-sik, a lawmaker who accompanied People Power Party leader Jang Donghyuk on his trip to the United States, said on the 22nd that Jang visited the White House to meet JD Vance, but the meeting ultimately did not take place.
Speaking on YTN Radio that day, Kim said, "We tried to meet Vice President Vance and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but the meeting did not happen because President Donald John Trump's meeting ran long."
He explained, "At the time we happened to enter the White House, President Donald John Trump had called an emergency meeting. If he had called a meeting then, how could we have met him?"
In response to a question asking why they did not wait longer and meet them later, he said, "We did wait. While waiting, we were being briefed by the most senior among the Deputy Ministers at the United States Department of State, but the meeting had not ended by then." He added, "So we moved to the Department of State and decided to meet Secretary Rubio, but President Donald John Trump's meeting ran long, so we could not meet him."
Kim said he met the "No. 3" official at the National Security Council (NSC). He stressed that, although he had a business card, he was asked not to reveal the person's name, calling it an "international agreement," and said he could not disclose the name in line with diplomatic custom.
Kim gave a positive assessment of Jang's trip to the United States. He said, "With 26 ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz and the Iran issue still unresolved, showing that South Korea and the United States are allies with no gaps, as the leader of a conservative party, will also help with economic issues."
Asked about criticism that Jang had gone to Washington, D.C. to take photos with Supreme Council member Kim Min-su, Jang said, "As the person who planned the schedule, I feel very sorry and deeply hurt," and added, "We failed somewhat at image-making."
haeram@fnnews.com Lee Hae-ram Reporter