The U.S. State Department said the official who met People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk during his visit to the United States was an aide to the under secretary for public diplomacy, identified as Gavin Wax.
A State Department spokesperson said on April 23, in response to a written inquiry from News1, that “at the request of the visiting (People Power Party) delegation, Representative Jang Dong-hyuk and the delegation met with Gavin Wax, chief of staff to the under secretary for public diplomacy.”
The department said Wax briefed the delegation on the State Department’s public diplomacy efforts.
“This meeting reaffirmed our commitment to engaging a wide range of interlocutors to effectively advance and represent U.S. interests,” the State Department said.
Jang was in Washington, D.C., from April 11 to 20 for an eight-night, 10-day visit. He had originally planned to return on April 17 but extended his stay after receiving contact from the State Department at the airport.
The People Power Party had said Jang met with an assistant secretary-level official during the visit, but added that the individual’s identity could not be disclosed at the request of the State Department.
In a notice issued the previous day, the party said, “It is true that Jang visited the State Department twice during his trip and held meetings with assistant secretary-level officials,” but added, “It is difficult to confirm the identity due to a strong request from the U.S. government.”
It also said, “For the same reason, it is difficult to identify the individual in the photo.”