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(Seoul=Yonhap Infomax) It has been an exceptionally hectic five months—so busy, in fact, that there was barely time to receive an official appointment letter.
This is the story of Ye Han-koo, Director-General for Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, who played a key role in the recently concluded US-Korea tariff negotiations. Ye’s appointment letter took more than five months to reach its intended recipient.
On the afternoon of the 25th, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok presented appointment letters to vice-ministerial officials at the Seoul Government Complex in Jongno-gu.
Among the 12 recipients was Director-General Ye. President Lee Jae-myung had appointed him on June 10, making this a notably delayed appointment letter—168 days, to be exact.
In fact, Ye assumed office well ahead of the other officials who received their letters that day.
For example, Lee Jeong-ryeol, Vice Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission, and Lee Byung-kwon, Second Vice Minister of SMEs and Startups, began their roles on November 14, while Kim Yong-seon, Commissioner of the Intellectual Property Office, started on November 3. Most of the remaining officials took office in August or September.
Even Jo Won-cheol, Chief of the Ministry of Government Legislation, who was among the earliest, was appointed on July 13—over four months before receiving his letter, but still a month less than Ye.
The delay becomes even more apparent when compared to others appointed on the same day as Ye (June 10).
Park Yoon-joo, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs; Lee Hyung-il, First Vice Minister of Economy and Finance; and Lim Ki-geun, Second Vice Minister of Economy and Finance, all received their appointment letters from Prime Minister Kim on July 31. Moon Shin-hak, Vice Minister at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, also received his letter and took commemorative photos on the last day of July.
Ye’s delayed appointment was due to his intensive schedule leading the US-Korea tariff negotiations. Prime Minister Kim even joked, “You’ve been negotiating with the US for over five months without an appointment letter.”
Ye assumed his post in June, just as the US began ramping up global tariff pressure. At that time, less than a month remained before the July 8 deadline for the “July Package” agreement between the US and Korea.
South Korea, facing a leadership vacuum due to last year’s martial law crisis, was lagging behind competitors in negotiations. Effectively, the process had to restart from scratch, with a “new wine in new bottles” approach.
There was not even an immediate environment for negotiations. The first task was to assure the US delegation—who viewed Korea’s domestic situation with skepticism—that the new government had secured democratic legitimacy and a clear mandate, and that political uncertainty had been resolved.
From that point, Ye embarked on a grueling schedule. He was deployed to negotiations about a month before Kim Jeong-gwan, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, who took office on July 21 after a confirmation hearing.
Just ten days after taking office, on June 22, Ye made his first trip to the US. He visited the US five or six times, sitting at the negotiating table with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamison Greer. On at least one occasion, he flew to the US without a return ticket, determined to negotiate “regardless of the time required.”
Ye is recognized as one of South Korea’s leading trade experts and is a “career” Director-General for Trade Negotiations.
During the first Trump administration in 2017, he led the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) renegotiations as Director of Trade Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and as Commercial Counselor at the Korean Embassy in Washington. He also served as Director-General for Trade Negotiations under the Moon Jae-in administration. He is widely regarded for his seasoned leadership in negotiations, drawing on extensive experience.
Even for Ye, the latest US-Korea tariff negotiations were challenging. The second Trump administration was a complete departure from the past. Situations changed rapidly with each statement from President Trump, and agreements that seemed nearly finalized were frequently overturned.
Beyond the relentless pace, it was a period when restful sleep was hard to come by. Although he did not show it outwardly, sources say the sense of responsibility and pressure was considerable.
Ye, who usually enjoys a drink in informal settings, reportedly abstained from alcohol on flights to the US, focusing instead on devising negotiation strategies throughout the 10-hour journey. The phrase “national interest first” was always at the forefront of his mind. In this way, he fulfilled his role in the US-Korea tariff negotiations.
Having completed this critical task, Ye finally received his appointment letter. Reflecting on the experience, he said, “It feels as though I’ve been running in emergency mode for the past five months. I now intend to address not only US-related trade issues but also the many other pending trade matters in earnest.” (Su Jin Yoo, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy)
sjyoo@yna.co.kr
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