Opposition Leader Jang Dong-hyeok, Who Met a 'Vice Minister-Level' Figure, Was Actually Seen from Behind: Chief of Staff to a U.S. Deputy Secretary in His 30s

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[The Financial News] The State Department official whom People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok said he met, even at the cost of delaying his return home, is reportedly Gavin Wax, chief of staff to the under secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs.
After completing his 10-day, 8-night trip to the United States and returning home, Jang's camp drew criticism as it revealed the additional schedule added during his extended stay. It said he had met an "assistant secretary of state," but it did not disclose the official's identity beyond a photo of the person's back, fueling continued controversy.
On the 23rd, JTBC reported that it had emailed the State Department to ask who Jang met in Washington on the 16th local time. The department replied, "At the request of the South Korean delegation, Jang Dong-hyeok and the People Power Party delegation met with Gavin Wax, chief of staff to the under secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs."
The report also said Wax discussed topics including "emphasizing the State Department's public diplomacy efforts aligned with America First."
According to JTBC, Wax is a young political figure in his 30s. Before joining the State Department, he served as president of an organization called the New York Young Republican Club. The group is known as one of the far-right organizations that form part of the core support base for U.S. President Donald John Trump.
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Earlier, Jang had been scheduled to board a return flight on the 16th after departing for Washington on the 11th. However, while going through airport procedures, he received contact from the State Department side and abruptly extended his U.S. trip by three days.
Rumors later spread that he had met with State Department officials. As the People Power Party distributed schedule-related photos to reporters, the file names attached to those images revealed that he had held three meetings: one with an assistant secretary of state, one interview with the U.S. foreign media outlet NK News, and one meeting with Republican Rep. Randy Fine of Florida.
However, only the back of the assistant secretary's photo was made public, and no name or other details were disclosed. That left room for speculation, with some suggesting it may have been either Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, or Michael George DeSombre, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
The backlash is expected to grow now that JTBC's report has revealed that Jang, who ranks eighth in South Korea's official protocol and is treated at vice minister level as the leader of the main opposition party, met not a deputy secretary-level official but a chief of staff in his 30s.
In response, the chief of staff to the People Power Party leader and Supreme Council member Kim Min-su told JTBC only that "we cannot confirm it in line with diplomatic protocol."
y27k@fnnews.com Reporter Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter