Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, currently visiting the United States, said on April 15 that officials from the Donald Trump administration expressed concerns that “allies should speak with the same voice as the United States,” adding that South Korea does not appear to be doing so regarding the war with Iran.
Jang made the remarks during a meeting with Korean correspondents in Washington, D.C., as he shared the outcomes of meetings with officials from the White House National Security Council (NSC), the State Department, lawmakers and think tank representatives.
Citing comments from senior officials in the Trump administration, Jang said, “The U.S. side indicated that allied or friendly countries need to play some role in the Iran war.”
He added, “That role may take various forms, but the most basic is that when expressing positions on the Iran war, it is necessary to align with the United States.”
Rep. Cho Jung-hoon, who accompanied Jang, said, “The U.S. side emphasized several times that there should be no mixed messaging regarding the Iran war, and during meetings with Congress, there were repeated mentions of President Lee Jae-myung’s remarks on Israel.”
Cho added that U.S. congressional officials used the phrase “closely watching” regarding South Korea’s stance on the Iran war.
However, Jang and other participants — including PPP Supreme Council member Kim Min-soo, Rep. Kim Dae-sik and Rep. Kim Jang-gyeom — said they could not specify which individuals made the “closely watching” remarks, though they confirmed the comments did not come from administration officials.
Lawmakers the PPP delegation met during the visit included Reps. Young Kim (R-Calif.), Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) and Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), as well as Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.).
On April 10, President Lee Jae-myung shared on social media platform X a video purportedly showing wartime killings by individuals believed to be Israeli soldiers, writing, “We need to verify whether this is true and, if so, what actions were taken,” and adding, “There is no difference between issues we raise, such as forced labor of comfort women, the Holocaust or wartime killings.”
Rep. Kim Jang-gyeom said, “A representative from a U.S. think tank commented that while South Korea has maintained a relatively balanced diplomacy between Israel and Islamic countries, President Lee’s message was very confusing.”
Kim added that there were also questions about whether the remarks were a simple mistake or a calculated intention. During the visit, the lawmakers met with major conservative think tanks in the United States, including the America First Policy Institute, the Heritage Foundation and the International Republican Institute (IRI).
Jang said, “They did not stop at expressing concern over President Lee’s remarks on Israel, but went further to ask whether we viewed them as a mistake or as highly calculated,” adding, “I responded that I could not say.”
Cho noted, “Even as the opposition party, we pledged not to make statements that would harm national interests or cause confusion, although we did provide explanations on certain points.”
Regarding North Korea’s nuclear program, Cho said, “The U.S. cannot accept North Korea’s nuclear status, but there were views that due to delays and policies over several years under the previous progressive administration, North Korea’s actual nuclear capability is now considered ahead of Iran.”
Rep. Kim Dae-sik said, “The U.S. expressed a desire to engage in dialogue with North Korea, but while it wants to bring them to the negotiating table, there are demands from the North to be recognized as a nuclear state, and the overall atmosphere is not yet mature.”
On trade with South Korea, Cho said, “The U.S. side emphasized fair trade, and while House members expressed appreciation for and welcomed Korean investments, they also said they hope U.S. companies receive fair treatment in Korea.”
Kim Dae-sik added, “The State Department said it would clearly resolve visa issues for Korean companies,” noting that the U.S. views South Korea, the largest foreign direct investor in the U.S. from 2023 to 2025, as a genuine future partner.
Meanwhile, regarding criticism within the party over his 5-night, 7-day U.S. trip ahead of the June 3 local elections, Jang said, “I returned earlier than scheduled for personal reasons, including coordinating additional meetings and unofficial engagements.”
He added, “There may be various opinions ahead of the local elections, but I will fully explain the outcomes and necessity of the U.S. visit after returning.” Jang and Kim Min-soo arrived in the United States on April 11, while Reps. Cho Jung-hoon, Kim Dae-sik and Kim Jang-gyeom joined on April 14.
Regarding the Busan by-election nomination controversy linked to former leader Han Dong-hoon’s candidacy, Jang said, “Candidate nominations are to be decided by the party leader in consultation with the nomination management committee,” adding, “As the main opposition party, it is natural for us to field candidates in elections.”
