U.S. Deputy Foreign Minister Visits Korea "to explain the situation in Korea well to Trump"

Kim Hong-kyun, the first vice foreign minister to resume face-to-face diplomacy with the United States for the first time since martial law and impeachment, said he also explained the situation in Korea to President-elect Donald Trump.

After arriving at Washington Airport, Kim met with correspondents and said he had been communicating with Trump since before the U.S. presidential election and properly explained the domestic situation.

He also said he does not plan to meet with Trump's personnel in particular during this visit, but he intends to continue communicating until a new Trump administration is established in the future.

Kim said he does not need further explanation of the current situation as he continues to communicate with Trump, but he will take various opportunities to explain the current situation as well as the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance and the continuity of cooperation among Korea, the U.S. and Japan.

Asked about the prospects for trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, Vice Minister Kim said the origins of trilateral cooperation began in earnest from Trump's first term, adding that trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan is expected to continue in Trump's second term.

When Trump asked how he perceived the situation in Korea, he answered that he would understand it clearly because it showed how resilient democracy in Korea is, as the world has seen.

It is the first time that a high-ranking government official has visited overseas since the martial law crisis, and Vice Minister Kim will meet with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell in the United States and then move to Tokyo, Japan, for talks with the vice foreign ministers of Korea and Japan.

Vice Minister Kim said the two countries agreed on the need to resume high-level exchanges between South Korea and the U.S., so they will visit Washington first, adding that he plans to discuss high-level talks, including foreign ministers, soon.