Jo Hyun, the Minister of Foreign Affairs candidate, expresses confidence in concluding U.S. tariff negotiations before August 1

Jo Hyun, the candidate for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed confidence that the tariff negotiations with the United States could be concluded before August 1.

During the National Assembly's confirmation hearing on the 17th, the candidate stated, "We can finish the U.S. tariff negotiations before August 1," adding, "If I take office, I will visit the U.S. next week or at the earliest possible time to contribute to the final negotiations."

When asked by Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Yong-seon about the possibility of concluding the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations before August 1, Jo responded, "I believe the negotiations with the U.S. will be possible within two weeks."

He emphasized, "It is most important to satisfy the parts that can satisfy the U.S., maximize our strengths, and strategically respond to accept what we can gain from the U.S."

Position on Korea-China relations and North Korean issues

Regarding President Lee Jae-myung's potential attendance at China's Victory Day celebrations, Jo said he could not provide a definitive answer and avoided a direct response.

However, concerning the possibility of visiting China before the Korea-U.S. summit, he stated, "I don't think that will happen."

On the Korea-U.S. summit, he mentioned, "I heard that the schedule is being arranged," and conveyed, "I heard a message that the new Korean government is not rejecting the U.S. and that it is not about securing security from the U.S. and economics from China."

Regarding his earlier comment after being nominated, "We need to break away from the fixed notion that I must go to the U.S. first if I take office," he explained, "I would feel a bit sorry if there was any misunderstanding."

On the North Korean issue, Jo asserted, "North Korea cannot be recognized as a nuclear power under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)," and he made it clear that "we cannot give up on the complete denuclearization of North Korea."

However, he stated, "In dealing with negotiations, I think taking a practical and step-by-step approach is the possible window of opportunity open to us at this moment" and emphasized, "We must avoid any outcome where Korea is excluded from the North-U.S. negotiations."

When asked if North Korea is the primary enemy, he responded, "North Korea has a dual character in our context," calling it "an existential threat that can become an enemy."

He referred to the Korean War as an example of how North Korea had turned into an enemy, questioning, "How can we define an enemy? Don't we consider an opponent to be the enemy when we are at war?"

Regarding the unfounded election claims by Professor Moss Tan from Liberty University, he firmly stated, "We cannot tolerate actions that seem to incite based on false facts or fake news."

Jo added, "We will appropriately respond in consultation with relevant agencies" and emphasized, "We must be meticulous so that the Korea-U.S. alliance is not jeopardized, and I believe the U.S. government will not have a differing opinion on this matter."

Image sources: Donald Trump / gettyimagesbank, Xi Jinping / gettyimagesbank, President Lee Jae-myung / News1