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All eyes on delegation to U.S. as special envoys complete missions to Europe, India

Published: 20 Jul. 2025, 18:55

The U.K. delegation, led by Democratic Party lawmaker Choo Mi-ae, second to left, poses for a photo with British National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, second from right, in London on July 17. [MINSTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

Special envoys dispatched by President Lee Jae Myung to the European Union, France, India and Britain have completed their missions, with the focus now shifting to the upcoming delegation to the United States.

Speculation is growing over whether the U.S. envoy team will meet with President Donald Trump, as securing such a meeting is seen as the centerpiece of this round of special diplomacy.

Envoys visited each country and delivered personal letters from President Lee, then reported back with their findings, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday. The EU envoy, led by former Environment Minister Yoon Yeo-joon, met European Council President Antonio Costa in Brussels on July 15 to deliver the letter.

Korea first sent a delegation to the EU during President Moon Jae-in’s administration in 2017. Then-envoy Cho Yoon-je met with the European Council president, as did conservative People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon during former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s term in 2022, when he met with the executive vice president of the European Commission.

The envoy to India, led by former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 17. The team also met Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and other key Indian government and parliamentary figures. Modi expressed gratitude for the letter and reiterated an invitation for President Lee to visit India, according to the ministry.

In France, the delegation headed by former Justice Minister Kang Kum-sil met with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to President Emmanuel Macron, to deliver Lee’s letter. Liberal Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker Cheon Jun-ho, a member of the delegation, said Bonne conveyed Macron’s interest in visiting Korea. The team also met with lawmakers from both houses of Parliament and major corporate executives.

Kang Kum-sil, second to left, head of the France delegation, poses for a photo with Emmanuel Bonne, second to right, diplomatic adviser to the French president, in Paris on July 16. [MINSTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

The delegation to Britain, led by DP lawmaker Choo Mi-ae, delivered Lee’s letter to National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell. Powell referenced last month’s Korea-Britain summit on the sidelines of the Group of 7 summit and emphasized his intent to maintain close communication, according to the ministry. The delegation also met Foreign Office Minister Catherine West and other parliamentarians.

Still, some diplomatic observers expressed disappointment that the French and British envoys did not meet directly with President Macron or British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Given the role of presidential envoys and the importance of directly delivering letters from a head of state, such meetings are generally considered a matter of diplomatic protocol.

In 2017, for instance, Cho Yoon-je, serving as envoy under the Moon administration, met directly with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to deliver a presidential letter. Merkel, in response, welcomed the launch of Korea’s new administration and instructed her staff to begin preparing for a summit, Cho said at the time.

President Lee’s government has moved beyond the traditional model of limiting envoy dispatches to the United States, China, Japan and the EU. It is now pursuing a broader multilateral approach by sending teams to over 10 countries. All eyes are now on the next mission: a delegation to the United States led by former Doosan Group Chairman Park Yong-maan.

The presidential delegation to India, led by former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, delivers a personal letter from President Lee Jae-myung to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on July 17. [MINSTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

The possibility of a meeting with Trump is at the heart of this trip, though a Korea-U.S. summit has yet to be scheduled. Complicating matters is an approaching Aug. 1 deadline, when 25 percent reciprocal tariffs are set to be imposed. The two countries are currently negotiating a “package deal” that links trade and security, and the outcome could affect the U.S. visit.

Past special envoy missions to the United States have had mixed results in terms of presidential access. In 2017, the envoy under Moon, led by JoongAng Holdings Chairman Hong Seok-hyun, met directly with Trump in the presence of the U.S. vice president, senior White House advisers and the national security adviser. Similarly, in 2008, President Lee Myung-bak’s envoy, led by Asan Institute for Policy Studies Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-joon, met President George W. Bush.

However, in 2022, ahead of President Yoon’s inauguration, the Korea-U.S. policy consultation team, led by former People Power Party lawmaker Park Jin, did not meet with President Joe Biden or Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Instead, they met with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

Other past precedents include former President Roh Moo-hyun’s envoy, who delivered a letter to then-Vice President Dick Cheney in lieu of meeting President George W. Bush, and former President Park Geun-hye’s envoy, who met with Secretary of State John Kerry instead of President Barack Obama.

Meanwhile, special envoy delegations will be dispatched to Canada and Malaysia on Tuesday, the presidential office said Sunday.

DP Rep. Kim Byung-joo will lead the delegation to Canada, while former Oceans and Fisheries Minister Kim Young-choon will head the delegation to Malaysia. Both teams plan to meet key officials in their respective host countries and deliver personal letters from President Lee.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK HYUN-JU [[email protected]]