0
Jung Chung-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, questions Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-baek during a National Assembly defense committee session on August 25. / Source: Yonhap

Jung Chung-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), praised the summit between President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, calling it “so successful that a joint statement wasn’t even necessary.”

Posting on social media on August 26, Jung wrote, “President Lee is an outstanding strategist and negotiator.”

He argued that Lee deliberately chose words and themes appealing to Trump, praising him as a “global peacemaker” while steering him toward resuming dialogue with North Korea. Referring to Lee’s joke about building a “Trump World” resort in North Korea and playing golf there, Jung said, “Trump’s ears must have perked up. It offered him a business-style idea he would love.”

Jung also highlighted Lee’s “peacemaker–pacemaker” remark, calling it a strategic expression that showcased his instincts as a negotiator. “Trump immediately responded positively, saying he wanted to meet Kim Jong Un this year. That could prove to be the summit’s greatest achievement,” he said.

Looking ahead to Trump’s expected participation in the APEC summit in Gyeongju in October, Jung predicted the U.S. president might take bold steps to revive U.S.-North Korea talks. “If dialogue resumes after the failure in Hanoi, it will be a major contribution to peace on the Korean Peninsula,” he added.

He concluded, “If U.S.-North Korea talks move forward, inter-Korean ties, U.S.-North Korea relations, and the U.S.-Korea alliance will all see major political, military, and economic progress. That must be President Lee’s ultimate goal. He is smart, and with his strategic choice of language, he showed the wit of a true negotiator. I wish him continued success in making the summit a lasting achievement.”