President Lee Jae-myung, in relation to being invited to the Group of Seven (G7) summit, stated on the 7th that the Democratic Party of Korea aims to make this a turning point for restoring the national status that the Yoon Seok-youl regime had diminished on the diplomatic stage.
Chief spokesperson Cho Seung-rae noted in a written briefing on the same day that "President Lee will attend the G7 summit starting on the 15th."
Cho, the chief spokesperson, said, "The first phone call between President Lee and U.S. President Trump concluded in a friendly atmosphere," adding, "We expect that this summit call will strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance further and that both countries will wisely resolve pressing issues such as tariff negotiations."
He continued, "There can be no division between the ruling and opposition parties on diplomatic and security issues," stating, "In a serious diplomatic environment, both parties must work together with one heart and one mind to protect national interests."
He remarked, "In that regard, the careless remarks by the People Power Party ahead of this Korea-U.S. summit call must not be repeated," adding, "Causing anxiety as if there is some issue during the coordination of the summit call is an irresponsible act that uses diplomacy as a means of political gain to undermine the new government."
Earlier, Na Kyung-won, a member of the People Power Party, stated on Facebook on the 6th before the Korea-U.S. summit call that "former President Moon Jae-in communicated with the U.S. president on his inauguration day, former President Yoon Seok-youl did so just 5 hours after his election, and former President Park Geun-hye did it the day after his election," adding, "However, President Lee has not even communicated with President Trump yet, three days after his inauguration." He expressed concern, stating, "There is growing worry that the Korea-U.S. alliance may be faltering."
On the same day, Ahn Cheol-soo posted on Facebook, "The presidential office explains the delay in the (Korea-U.S.) call as a time zone issue, but it is a poor excuse that is hard to convince the public," adding, "I worry that this may be a serious signal indicating that 'Korea passing' has begun."
Cho's remarks are interpreted as targeting such comments from the opposition party.
Cho stated, "The new government must address one by one the national crises and challenges left by the previous regime," and added, "In a situation where the People Power Party should feel a sense of responsibility and cooperate, it must not use diplomacy as a tool for political conflict."
He added, "The People Power Party should feel a heavy sense of responsibility in light of the dire situation our country faces and cooperate in normalizing state affairs," and stated, "The Democratic Party will do its utmost to overcome the crisis with the new government and elevate Korea's status on the world stage."