Seoul
South Korea and the United States have yet to release their joint fact sheet on the outcome of last week’s summit between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump, raising speculation about what has caused the extended delay. Seoul officials said earlier the two sides plan to release the fact sheet outlining the details of what was agreed upon between the two leaders within two or three days of their summit, held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering in Gyeongju on October 29.
The joint fact sheet is expected to outline the specifics of South Korea’s USD350 billion investment pledge, made in return for the United States reducing its tariff rate on South Korean goods to 15 per cent from 25 per cent.
The fact sheet is also expected to provide details on security commitments, including plans for supporting Seoul’s efforts to secure fuel supplies for nuclear-powered submarines, as President Trump has signaled willingness to do so after the summit with President Lee.
As the release of the joint document appears to be delayed, speculation has grown that prolonged interagency coordination within the US government may be behind the hold-up.
Seoul has reportedly handed over its draft version of the fact sheet to Washington and is awaiting a response, according to sources with knowledge of the matter, suggesting that the delay is not due to an unfinished negotiation but has more to do with the fine-tuning among relevant US government agencies.
Speaking before lawmakers on Thursday, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said the State Department had asked him to wait a little longer. It is not that we are dragging our feet, but the delay is largely due to the coordination process with the United States, Cho said during a National Assembly session.
