‘Free trade crusader’ Kim Hyun-jong’s joining Minjoo Party

In early 2003, then president-elect Roh Moo-hyun called in Kim Hyun-jong, a senior attorney for the World Trade Organization, and was debriefed on pending issues in international trade. Kim told Roh, “Korea should envision an open trade country and a business-friendly nation.” Notably, Kim emphasized the need for Korea to sign free trade accords with major countries including the U.S. In 2004, President Roh appointed Kim as the trade minister who took charge of free trade talks after naming him the coordinator for trade negotiation. The relationship between Roh and Kim over free trade pacts is similar to that of former President Chun Doo-hwan and his "economics mentor" Kim Jae-ik.

Roh, Kim, and Kim Jong-hoon, the chief negotiator of trade talks, were the trio that spearheaded negotiations for the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement that was inked in April 2007. Kim Jong-hoon, who was dubbed "Gladiator," also played a major role in the negotiations with Washington. However, if Kim Hyun-jong failed to persuade Roh, who was an outsider in trade, the Korea-U.S. FTA would not have been exchanged. When Roh met Kim Hyun-jong for the first time, he was impressed by Kim’s broad view of the world and enlightening strategic thinking. The Korea-U.S. FTA is a legacy of the late president.

Kim Hyun-jong, the first son of former Korean ambassador to Norway Kim Byeong-yeon, acquired a doctorate degree in trade law at Columbia University. His father had extraordinary expectations of and affection for the son who had gone for overseas study alone at age 14 and studied very hard. He also gave special attention in many aspects to ensure that the son, who spent all of his high school and college years in the U.S., can have soft landing in Korea. The former diplomat even introduced his son to this writer, who was then the desk editor in charge when The Dong-A Ilbo was covering talks for the Korea-U.S. trade pact, and enabled me to understand the progress in negotiations.

After serving as the trade minister, Kim worked as the Korean ambassador to the U.N. and Samsung Electronics president in charge of overseas legal affairs. He joined the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea on Thursday. Some view the party’s choice of former "FTA crusader" was something unusual. However, Kim was a close confidant of Roh Moo-hyun, as evidenced by the fact the late president even said of him, “We are in good chemistry.” If Kim’s choice of the liberal party enables him to make contributions to changing the mood of its exclusiveness and anti-government practice, which is one of its major weaknesses, he could have positive impact on the opposition party and the Republic of Korea.