"Necktie Given as a Birthday Gift"... Jang Sung-min Reveals Behind Story of the 'DJ Necktie' Taken by Biden

In August 2001, Joe Biden, then Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and President-elect of the United States (left), visited South Korea and greeted then-President Kim Dae-jung at the Blue House. The two exchanged neckties that day. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Hana Na] As the case of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden receiving a necktie from former President Kim Dae-jung in the past has been reexamined, former lawmaker Jang Sung-min revealed, "That necktie was the one I gave to President Kim as a birthday gift."

On the 8th, former lawmaker Jang said on his Facebook, "I gave it as a birthday gift to President Kim Dae-jung, and I am personally very pleased that Biden cherished it as a symbol of victory and was finally elected president."

Regarding Biden's election, former lawmaker Jang said, "If President-elect Joe Biden visits Korea after his inauguration, I hope he wears the necktie that President Kim Dae-jung untied when he visits Korea," and added, "I hope the necktie untied by President Kim Dae-jung becomes a symbol of victory for the Korea-U.S. alliance."

He also praised Biden's character, saying, "He was very open-minded and possessed an open way of thinking, and his perception of the Korea-U.S. alliance seemed as firm and strong as that of any politician," and added, "Above all, he left a strong impression as a political leader with a very friendly personality, who does not forget to be considerate of others and knows how to listen to and respect the opinions of others with inclusiveness."

He emphasized, "Biden's diplomatic thinking is principled yet quite flexible. He has an open mind that allows for summits with North Korea at any time. The Moon Jae-in administration and North Korea need to pay close attention to this point."

He predicted, "In that case, the core agenda will be North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles. It will also include a ban on the export of nuclear and missile technology."

Former lawmaker Jang also said that Biden was a supporter of President Kim Dae-jung's policy of engagement with North Korea, and predicted, "If North Korea accepts these issues, Biden will be able to gradually approach the matter by lifting current sanctions on North Korea and providing energy and food aid step by step."

However, he added, "If North Korea conducts missile test launches aimed at the U.S. mainland as a means and method to provoke the U.S., it will be a path that extremely provokes Biden," and said, "If such a situation occurs, it will be difficult to predict the direction Biden's North Korea policy will take."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.