Park Jin Supports the Return of Trade Negotiation Functions with "Integration of Economic Trade and Diplomatic Security"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Park Jin, the nominee for Minister of Foreign Affairs, has argued that the trade negotiation function should be returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the perspective of economic security.

Foreign Minister nominee Park Jin is attending a meeting with President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol and Philippe Lefort, Ambassador of France to Korea, at the Presidential Transition Committee reception room in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 27th. Photo by Transition Committee Press Corps

As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is attempting to bring the trade negotiation function back from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy through the new government’s organizational restructuring, the first foreign minister of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration has come out in support.

In a written response submitted to Kim Young-joo, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, Park stated, “If the absence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ trade negotiation function continues, the overall diplomatic capabilities of our government will inevitably weaken further.”

He added, “To respond promptly to economic security issues, a unified system that can simultaneously review and respond to both economic trade and diplomatic security aspects is necessary.”

In a situation where the new government emphasizes the importance of economic security beyond traditional diplomatic and defense security, he has effectively argued that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should handle trade negotiations as it did during the former Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade era.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly asserted the necessity of restoring the trade function to the media whenever possible.

On the 29th of last month, when reports emerged that U.S. officials had expressed a negative stance on the transfer of trade functions to the Korean government, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy was pointed out as being behind it. At that time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs unusually expressed strong regret, saying, “This is a behavior trying to win in domestic government organizational restructuring discussions by leveraging foreign support.”

After Park’s nomination, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has further emphasized the argument for the return of the trade negotiation function.

A full review of organizational restructuring, including the transfer of trade functions, is expected to take place after the new government’s inauguration.

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