By Oh Young-jin
The cigar-chomping, back-slapping, backdoor deal-making, previous president of American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), Tami Overby observed after the settlement of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA), “Kim Jong-hoon is somebody we can talk to.”
In 2007 at a function organized to celebrate the so-called KORUS FTA, the then chief negotiator Kim Jong-hoon who also plays guitar, jammed with the then U.S. Ambassador Alex Vershbow, a drummer, to perform classic numbers like Yesterday.
Working under the younger hardball Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong, Kim Jong-hoon was credited among those who had in-depth knowledge about the negotiations in the lead-up to the eleventh hour agreement. His boss cashed in on the successful conclusion and scored the plum job of ambassador to the United Nations.
The younger Kim Hyun-chong, a U.S.-educated lawyer, was famous for throwing a fit when the deal was very much up in the air. Unable to control his temper during the final hours after an unheard-of extension he was seen kicking chairs out of frustration.
Now, he leads Samsung’s legal division and rarely speaks to the press.
In contrast, Kim Jong-hoon, promoted to trade minister as the only Cabinet post-holder retained from the previous administration, is still hanging around, trying to finish what he started — wrapping up the trade pact that lingers in the doldrums.
While his record shows Kim as one of the very few competent international trade negotiators in Korea, he belies some conventional wisdom.
First, he usually looks glum and rarely smiles, perhaps part of his tactic to keep a poker face.
It is jokingly observed that if he were to wear a North Korean officer’s uniform, he would easily pass as one. Though, he may be a bit taller than the usual communist cadre.
At least from his constant stance of defending the FTA with the United States, he was often seen to be easily exasperated, impatiently countering detractors point by point.
Some might feel tempted to conclude that he is too hot-tempered to be a good negotiator.
But such observations may be unfair to Kim, considering his merits as a successful negotiator lies regardless of the ease with which he lashes out.
When he talked to business editors following the discovery of errors in the translations of FTAs with the U.S. and Europe earlier this year, he displayed two characteristics that were not easy to expose or were believed to be part of his attributes.
One was speaking with candor. Even when asked about his future, he didn’t mince words, replying, “I am ready to quit but it should be left to the decision of the person that appointed me.”
Then, he avoided stonewalling and spoke directly about the mistranslations. His concluding statement was “The buck stops here.”
Maybe, his candor worked as a foundation to build trust with his counterparts and the admission of mistakes strengthened that trust. It is hard to know for sure but one thing that is clear is that his guitar skills alone could not have gotten him this far.
If he steps down without seeing the consummation of the KORUS FTA, there is no need for him to be disappointed because it was simply beyond his range of authority. As a staunch believer in FTAs, it is quite certain that Kim will continue to preach their benefits. On the other side of the globe, it is doubtful that the weakened U.S. President Obama can pull it off. The fate of the KORUS FTA appears beyond Obama’s authority, too.