Floor leaders to visit Washington for reality check on North Korea; unlikely to see Trump
Floor leaders of the ruling and opposition parties shake hands at a press conference at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday, before boarding a plane for Washington, D.C., to discuss denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the possibility of U.S. tariffs on South Korean cars. From left: Roh Hoe-chan of the Justice Party, Rep. Kim Sung-tae of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, Rep. Hong Young-pyo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, Rep. Chang Byoung-wan of the Party for Democracy and Peace and Rep. Kim Kwan-young of the Bareunmirae Party. / Yonhap
By Park Ji-won
Floor leaders from the nation's five major parties left Wednesday for Washington, D.C., to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue and the possibility of U.S. tariffs on South Korean cars with U.S. lawmakers and industry officials.
U.S. President Donald Trump is unlikely to meet the delegation.
The floor leaders said they will visit the U.S. capital for four days as part of bipartisan efforts to boost ties with Washington.
“The U.S. is our traditional and key ally in keeping national security and economic interests surrounding the Assembly,” said Rep. Hong Young-pyo, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), during a press conference at Incheon International Airport.
“We are making progress through cooperation with the U.S over denuclearization and seeking peace on the Korean Peninsula. However, tension is rising over (U.S. tariffs on) Korean cars. So we are trying to resolve such difficulties in international trade such as car tariffs.”
Rep. Kim Sung-tae of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) said: “During the visit to the U.S., we will come up with a good discussion that can change the 31-year-old Constitution without controversy in the National Assembly.”
The delegation, led by Hong, also includes Rep. Kim Kwan-young of the Bareunmirae Party, Rep. Chang Byoung-wan of the Party for Democracy and Peace and Rep. Roh Hoe-chan of the Justice Party.
On Wednesday (local time), the lawmakers are scheduled to meet board members of the American Automobile Association, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific chairman Sen. Cory Gardner, and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer.
On Thursday, they plan to meet Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy John Rood and Edward Markey, a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific.
They are scheduled to meet Jeffrey Gerrish, the Deputy U.S. Trade Representative for Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Industrial Competitiveness on Friday and to attend a lunch meeting hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. They also will meet Korean Peninsula experts of the U.S. Institute of Peace.