"What is Coupang All About" Cheong Wa Dae, Ambassador to the U.S., and National Assembly in an Uproar... Difficulties in Mending the ROK-U.S. Alliance Rift

Newsis [Financial News] Amid continuing setbacks in security cooperation between South Korea and the U. S. , the Blue House has stepped in to assess the situation but is struggling to resolve the crisis. An urgent situation is unfolding, with the Blue House National Security Strategy Secretary being urgently dispatched to Washington and the South Korean Ambassador to the U. S. returning to discuss countermeasures with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to political circles on the 28th, anxiety is growing within the diplomatic and security lines due to disruptions in U.
S. intelligence sharing regarding North Korea and protest letters from U. S. political circles concerning the Coupang issue. Controversy has arisen as it is reported that U. S. political circles have even explicitly raised the issue of hindering the implementation of the nuclear-powered submarine construction agreed upon by the South Korean and U.
S. leaders regarding the legal proceedings against Coupang. Amid growing concerns about a rift in the security alliance between South Korea and the U. S. , it was reported that Cho Hyun-woo, the Blue House National Security Strategy Secretary, visited Washington D. C. last week and met with White House National Security Council (NSC) officials, but no significant follow-up measures have emerged from the U.
S. side. Secretary Cho has been in charge of the practical negotiations with the U. S. regarding parts of the "Joint Fact Sheet," the agreement reached at last year's South Korea-U. S. summit, including the construction of nuclear-powered submarines, uranium enrichment, and the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.
Furthermore, Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha has returned to Korea and is currently discussing measures regarding the security rift between South Korea and the U. S. with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun. Ambassador Kang discussed the Coupang issue and disruptions in intelligence sharing regarding North Korea with Minister Cho, and shared the current atmosphere within the United States. Earlier, Ambassador Kang received a letter from 54 Republican members of the U. S. House of Representatives requesting that discrimination against the American company Coupang be stopped.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on this day that it is reviewing a response to the letter from U. S. political circles regarding Coupang. A Foreign Ministry official stated, "We are consulting with relevant ministries regarding the dispatch of a reply to the joint letter from U. S. House Republican members. " Meanwhile, the ruling coalition and progressive parties in Korea are also preparing a letter of protest against the U.
S. side for framing the Coupang issue as a national security matter. They have decided to send a letter of protest and take countermeasures against the U. S. administration, which pressured for the suspension of high-level security negotiations while demanding a resolution to the personal safety issues of Coupang INC Chairman Kim Beom-seok. The letter contains a counter-argument stating that the U. S.
administration's demands constitute an "infringement on judicial sovereignty. " Members of the Democratic Party of Korea, the Innovation Party of Korea, the Progressive Party, and the Social Democratic Party are spearheading the joint signing of the protest letter. The number of lawmakers participating in the joint petition had already surpassed 80 the previous day. However, the Democratic Party drew a line, stating that it is not sending the joint letter at the party level. rainman@fnnews. com Reporter Kim Kyung-soo President Lee Jae-myung is conversing with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun at a Cabinet meeting and emergency economic review meeting held at Che jeanwadae on the 28th. Prime Minister Kim Min-suk is in the center.administration's demands constitute an "infringement on judicial sovereignty. " Members of the Democratic Party of Korea, the Innovation Party of Korea, the Progressive Party, and the Social Democratic Party are spearheading the joint signing of the protest letter. The number of lawmakers participating in the joint petition had already surpassed 80 the previous day. However, the Democratic Party drew a line, stating that it is not sending the joint letter at the party level. rainman@fnnews. com Reporter Kim Kyung-soo President Lee Jae-myung is conversing with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun at a Cabinet meeting and emergency economic review meeting held at Che jeanwadae on the 28th. Prime Minister Kim Min-suk is in the center.
rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter