Are U.S.-South Korea Ties Tangled? Ambassador to the U.S. Makes Rare Return

[Anchor]

Kang Kyung-wha, the South Korean Ambassador to the United States, has made a rare temporary return to Seoul while currently serving in her post. It appears the government has initiated urgent coordination as the hardline stance from U.S. political circles regarding issues such as Coupang has begun to spill over into discussions on investment and security.

Reporter Kim Hye-young has the story.

[Reporter]

Ambassador to the U.S. Kang Kyung-wha arrived back in Korea early this morning (July 15) for a five-day visit.

Upon entering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, she mentioned that the Coupang issue has become prolonged.

[Kang Kyung-wha / South Korean Ambassador to the U.S.: (The Coupang issue) is an issue that is lasting much longer than I had thought, so while managing that issue as it is...]

The Presidential Office explained that Ambassador Kang's return was intended to "listen to the head of the diplomatic mission's recommendations and candid opinions on ways to develop bilateral relations."

However, it is highly unusual for a sitting ambassador to the U.S. to return temporarily for the purpose of coordinating pending issues rather than for personal matters.

This suggests that resolving major pending issues between South Korea and the U.S. is proving difficult.

The Coupang issue has gone beyond the U.S. Congress, with the White House also stepping in to pressure the South Korean government, claiming that it is "discriminating against the U.S. company Coupang." This has even begun to affect negotiations in the security sector, including discussions on nuclear-powered submarines and nuclear cooperation.

Regarding investments in the U.S., which were agreed upon by the leaders of both countries last year, the first project has yet to be finalized, leading to growing dissatisfaction from the U.S. side.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Lutnick publicly demanded the expansion of production facilities within the U.S., specifically mentioning Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

The South Korean government maintains the position that investments in the U.S. must be carefully weighed based on commercial rationality.

[President Lee Jae-myung: This is a matter of significant scale that is exposed to the long-term interests of the public, so we must handle it very carefully and truly from the perspective of protecting the national interest.]

Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha is scheduled to attend a meeting on U.S.-South Korea pending issues presided over by the Presidential National Security Office tomorrow. Attention is focused on whether she can devise a breakthrough solution before returning to the U.S. on July 19.

(Video coverage: Jo Chun-dong, Jung Sang-bo | Video editing: Jeon Min-gyu | Graphics: Choi Ha-neul)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.