Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
SUMMIT Korean, US presidential chiefs of staff open direct hotline
President Lee Jae Myung's chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik speaks at a press conference in Washington, Monday (local time). Newsis
By Jung Min-ho
The presidential chiefs of staff in Seoul and Washington have established a direct communication line, Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to President Lee Jae Myung, said on Monday (local time).
Speaking at a press conference in Washington after Lee’s summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, Kang said the decision to open the communication channel reflected the need for sustained, comprehensive discussions on key economic, trade and security issues between the two allies.
“During trade negotiations, it became clear to me that there should be a dedicated channel between our two presidential offices,” Kang told reporters. “Chief of staff Susie Wiles, who enjoys President Trump’s full confidence, was judged to be the right counterpart. Over the past two weeks, we have been working toward this goal.”
Normally, the president’s chief of staff remains in Seoul during the leader’s overseas trips to oversee domestic affairs, so Kang’s decision to accompany Lee on the Washington trip caused some surprise.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles is seen looking at her phone near the White House in Washington, Aug. 22. Reuters-Yonhap
Kang said he met with Wiles at the White House at 10:30 a.m., about an hour after Trump posted a social media message questioning Korea’s political stability under Lee’s leadership.
“When the Truth Social post appeared around 9:20 a.m., we were all alarmed,” Kang said. “Fortunately, the meeting with Wiles began about an hour later, and I used the opportunity to correct misunderstandings and requested that she relay accurate information to President Trump.”
In the bilateral meeting with Lee, Trump described it as a “misunderstanding.”
During a 40-minute meeting, Kang and Wiles also talked about other crucial issues, including diplomacy and security, he said.
“The U.S. side said they were fully committed to cooperating and expect concrete progress, and moving forward, both sides agreed to continue communication between the chiefs of staff through the established channel,” Kang added.