As the Lee Jae Myung administration marks its six-month milestone, the presidential office has touted significant achievements in foreign diplomacy and national security. Analysts note that following the successful conclusion of the U.S.-South Korea tariff negotiations, which were considered the administration’s top priority, the government has also accomplished noteworthy milestones, including the successful hosting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and an agreement on the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines.
While clear limitations in normalizing inter-Korean relations for peace on the Korean Peninsula have emerged, the presidential office affirmed its commitment to actively launch the peace process next year, building on this year’s diplomatic normalization efforts.
High-Ranking Officials, Including the Chief of Staff, National Security Advisor, and Policy Chief, Convene for Presidential Office Six-Month Briefing
During the Six-Month Achievements Briefing held at the Yongsan Presidential Office, the three chiefs and senior advisors elaborated on the accomplishments and challenges of the Lee administration.
Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik stated that it has worked tirelessly for the past 187 days, or 4,488 hours, with the mindset that one hour at the presidential office carries the weight of 52 million hours. They swiftly restored daily life, which had been disrupted by internal strife, and have now reached a launching point for renewed growth and advancement.
Lee Kyu-yeon, the head of public relations and communication at the presidential office, revealed that the top four achievements of the Lee administration over the past six months, as identified by the press corps, were all related to foreign diplomacy and national security.
Earlier, the presidential office conducted a survey among reporters, which identified the following top four achievements: 1st place for the conclusion of U.S.-South Korea tariff negotiations, 2nd place for diplomatic normalization, 3rd place for the agreement on nuclear-powered submarines, and 4th place for the successful hosting of APEC.
All Top Four Achievements of the Lee Administration Focused on Foreign Diplomacy and Security; Inter-Korean Relations Improvements Expected Next Year
As indicated by the survey among journalists, the U.S.-South Korea tariff negotiations garnered the most attention during this administration. While the issue became a point of contention between the ruling and opposition parties, the final assessment recognized success in negotiating both tariff issues and security matters between the two governments.
Kim Hyun-jong, the first deputy director of the National Security Office, noted that it formed task forces in various sectors under the supervision of the National Security Office, focusing on discussions related to enriched uranium, nuclear submarine negotiations, and defense budget task forces. Practical discussions with the U.S. have begun this month, and they expect visible results in the first half of next year.
National Security Director Wi Sung-lac stated that they have decisively stabilized U.S.-South Korea relations, made significant progress in South Korea-Japan relations, and have begun to restore the previously strained South Korea-China relationship.
However, Director Wi acknowledged that while it has achieved many successes in external conditions, it has not made significant progress in inter-Korean relations. Therefore, it will focus on this area next year based on the current results.
He emphasized that the key to improving inter-Korean relations lies in North Korea’s response. It aims to leverage the international connections it has established with neighboring countries to facilitate dialogue efforts. While there hasn’t been significant progress with Russia, it maintains communication. They are working with neighboring countries and will attempt to use those efforts to engage with the North.
Regarding the potential reduction of joint military exercises with the U.S. in the process of promoting the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, he stated that they need to consider various options, but they are not directly contemplating joint exercises as a bargaining chip.
October 15 Real Estate Measures Aim to Curb Price Concentration; Apologies for Lack of Progress in Reducing Industrial Accidents
Additionally, the presidential office acknowledged that while it is striving for stability in real estate prices and a reduction in industrial accidents, it has not yet achieved visible results.
Chief of Staff Kang stated that they have fully prepared policy measures to stabilize real estate prices, while Economic Growth Chief Ha Jun-kyung mentioned that the October 15 measures are primarily about applying brakes due to strong concentration.
Chief Ha added that they are fundamentally expanding housing supply and are monitoring this nearly once or twice a week to address the issues.
Regarding the recent controversy surrounding Coupang and privacy protection issues, Deputy Director Oh Hyun-joo expressed to apology to the public and shared their frustrations, acknowledging that there was insufficient corporate investment and government support. He noted that they prepared a comprehensive information protection plan by the end of October to encourage corporate investment.
Furthermore, senior advisors from the presidential office highlighted several achievements, including the potential realization of a KOSPI 4,000, the prospect of surpassing annual exports of 700 billion USD for the first time, securing 260,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) as core resources for the artificial intelligence (AI) transition, live streaming of cabinet meetings, and the introduction of a public recommendation system.