Wi Sung-lak, the National Security Advisor, briefs on President Lee Jae-myung's keynote address at the UN General Assembly and summit-related matters at the Korea Press Center in a New York hotel on the 23rd (local time). Yonhap News. 

Wi Sung-lak, the National Security Advisor, stated on the 27th regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's mention of South Korea's $350 billion in U.S. investments as 'upfront payment,' that "we cannot pay $350 billion in cash."

Appearing on Channel A that day, Wi responded to a question implying that "Trump's 'upfront payment' remarks could make U.S.-Korea tariff negotiations difficult" by saying, "This is not a negotiation tactic but an objectively and realistically unaffordable scope for us."

He added, "This is a fact that anyone in South Korea would acknowledge," and "Regardless of party affiliation, no one can fail to acknowledge it, which is why we are trying to discuss alternatives and are in consultation over them."

He further commented, "One potential target point for the (tariff) negotiations could be the occasion of the next (South Korea-U.S.) summit," and stated, "We are working towards the time of the (Gyeongju) Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting."

Regarding the possibility of a "surprise meeting" between President Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un at the upcoming APEC summit, Wi said, "Rather than saying there could be a possibility, I think it is still in the realm of imagination," adding, "There are no indications or signs that such a possibility exists yet."

When asked about President Lee Jae-myung's meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant in New York to discuss tariff negotiations, Wi stated, "There was no progress in the negotiations."

However, he added, "It was not a negotiation venue, but simply an opportunity to convey our position more clearly and with greater emphasis, so we expect it to be helpful for future negotiations."

Wi Sung-lak, the National Security Advisor, briefs on President Lee Jae-myung's keynote address at the UN General Assembly and summit-related matters at the Korea Press Center in a New York hotel on the 23rd (local time). Yonhap News. 

Regarding President Lee's comprehensive Korean Peninsula peace vision, the "END Initiative" (Exchange, Normalization, Denuclearization), presented in his keynote address at the UN General Assembly, Wi explained, "Some may question if the public is following the END order, with denuclearization coming last. However, it is simply the order in which the letters are written, and there is no specific order or priority."

In response to the opposition party's accusations that the END Initiative amounts to "giving up denuclearization," Wi countered, "It is absolutely incorrect to say we are abandoning denuclearization. We have never abandoned it, nor do we intend to."

He added, "The President also has a grave sense of crisis regarding North Korea's nuclear issue," relaying the President's frequent remark, "'If we continue like this, won't North Korea's nuclear weapons increase by 15-20 each year? Can we afford to leave this situation unattended?'"

Wi mentioned that the idea for the END Initiative concept came from the Ministry of Unification, stating, "It was a proposal from the Ministry of Unification, which was then slightly modified after being brought to the Presidential Office."

Regarding President Lee's remark on "a submissive mindset held by some, believing that self-defense is impossible without foreign forces, despite possessing military power, national defense capabilities, and national strength," Wi explained, "While alliance and cooperation with the United States remain crucial, we intend to play a greater role in what we must do in terms of conventional forces."

He concluded, "The intention is to move forward with confidence and increase the degree of self-reliant national defense."

Yonhap News