Jang Donghyuk Meets U.S. Ambassador to Korea: "Expanding Shared Interests to Strengthen Korea-U.S. Alliance"

Jang Donghyuk Meets with U.S. Ambassador Michelle Steel
Jang: "Trust Is the Foundation of the Alliance"

On September 15, Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, stated, "The United States and South Korea must choose to cultivate their shared interests in the long term, rather than focusing only on the near future."

At the National Assembly that day, Jang met with Michelle Steel, U.S. Ambassador to Korea, and remarked, "Among the issues that our two countries currently face, there could be matters where we must endure short-term losses," and made these comments accordingly.

Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, is meeting and exchanging greetings with Michelle Steel, the U.S. Ambassador to Korea, at the party leader's office in the National Assembly on September 15, 2026. Photo by Dongjoo Yoon

He emphasized, "We need to look toward the grand future that the United States and South Korea should build together," adding, "Strengthening and deepening the values shared by both countries, and enhancing cooperation to expand our joint interests in the long term, is the path to reinforcing and upgrading the Korea-U.S. alliance."

He continued, "The basis of any alliance is trust," and explained, "In order to firmly build trust, it is essential to share the values of liberal democracy and a market economy, while also working to enhance mutual benefits."

Jang expressed his expectations by saying, "I hope that the principle of trust will be upheld as we address issues such as trade and security going forward," and added, "As the leader of the main opposition party, I will fulfill all necessary roles."

Regarding the threat from North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles, he said, "North Korea is accelerating the strengthening of its military capabilities, such as nuclear weapons and submarines, while also accumulating modern warfare experience by dispatching troops to the Russia-Ukraine war," calling for stronger security cooperation between South Korea and the United States.

Ambassador Steel responded, "The Republic of Korea plays a central role in peace and prosperity on the global stage," and continued, "I hope the People Power Party will support and cooperate with various initiatives to solidify the economic partnership between our two countries."

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