By Berk Kutay Gokmen
ISTANBUL (AA) - South Korea’s new ambassador to the US pledged Saturday to mobilize "all embassy capacities" for addressing issues with Washington after she arrived in the US capital to begin her term, Yonhap News reported Sunday.
Kang Kyung-wha, South Korea’s former foreign minister from 2017-2021, spoke upon her arrival as the US and South Korea face key challenges, including a trade deal and visa issues for South Korean workers.
"As tough issues (between Korea and the US) have been tangled up, (I) will make best efforts to disentangle those issues well by mustering up not just my efforts, but all embassy capacities," she told reporters at Dulles International Airport.
As the first female ambassador to the US, Kang emphasized leveraging her experience as foreign minister to fulfill her duties.
She highlighted talks about a $350 billion investment fund tied to a trade deal with the Trump administration, saying, "We will respond thoroughly on the ground to ensure that (the two sides) can find a point of agreement in a mutually good result."
"Of course, the industry minister and trade minister are directly involved in the efforts to reach a deal, but as the embassy chief on the ground, I think I should make efforts to provide maximum support (to them)," she added.
Seoul and Washington agreed in principle in July to a deal under which the US reduced tariffs on imports from South Korea from 25% to 15% in exchange for Seoul’s commitment to invest $350 billion in the US.
But the two sides remain deadlocked on how the investment fund will be structured. Without a deal, South Korean imports could again face a 25% tariff.
Kang noted the bilateral working group’s efforts to address visa issues for South Korean workers, following last month's immigration crackdown that led to the detention of more than 310 Korean workers in the US state of Georgia.
"I will make efforts to ensure the operation of a sustainable, trustworthy visa program can be entrenched as we will engage in the second working-group meeting and additional negotiations on the matter," she said.