Kim Sung Han, the chief of South Korea's National Security Office, has resigned following reports of his failure to report United States First Lady Jill Biden's suggestion of a joint performance by K-pop group BLACKPINK and Lady Gaga at the upcoming Korea-US Summit. Kim resigned unexpectedly just ahead of President Yoon Suk Yeol's visit to the United States to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Korea-U.S. relations.
While the presidential office swiftly accepted Kim's resignation, questions remain as to whether his departure was solely due to the scheduling error. Woo Sang Ho, a member of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee of the National Assembly, has suggested that the responsibility for event planning falls to the Chief of the Presidential Protocol.
Nevertheless, speculation persists that Kim's failure to comply with instructions may have affected the process of resolving the report's omission. After the issue of the omission of reporting on joint Korean-American cultural events was raised, President Yoon attempted to rectify the situation by replacing diplomatic secretary Lee Moon Hee. However, the issue was not resolved until Chief Kim did not follow instructions, leading some to argue that President Yoon accepted the failure to comply as a de facto protest.
The controversy comes at a time when relations between the two countries are under intense scrutiny, with concerns about North Korea's nuclear program, China's growing influence in the region, and the status of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement all on the agenda for the upcoming summit.
First Lady Jill Biden’s suggestion of a BLACKPINK-Lady Gaga joint performance at the Korea-US Summit
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