청와대 “한미훈련 축소, SNS 보고 알아…전작권 회복 영향 없을 것”

On January 19, the White House spokesperson, Cha Gyeong-hong, stated that the U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises have been reduced as directed by former President Donald Trump, and that this change will not impact South Korea's ability to recover its nuclear weapons capability. During an appearance on Channel A, Cha emphasized that the government believes any hindrance or delay in the transition of nuclear weapons capability should be avoided.

Cha revealed that he learned of the message from Trump through the social media platform TrueSocial, and that many U.S. officials had also seen the post. He noted that this style of communication is characteristic of Trump.

In relation to the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November, which is expected to lead to a historic North-South Korea summit, Cha expressed optimism about improved relations between the two countries. He stated that his government intends to maintain close communication with the United States to fulfill its role.

Regarding the pending statement from Law Minister Cho Seong-ho, Cha said that a decision will be made at the appropriate time. He also clarified that discussing a successor to the current minister is inappropriate while Cho is still in office.

Regarding the controversy surrounding the redevelopment of Cheonggye Plaza, Cha clarified that the plan is not to demolish the entire 91,000-square-meter park and replace it with high-rise apartments. Instead, he proposed using partially damaged or unused land to provide housing for young people, citing the potential for improved access and faster removal of toxic materials from contaminated sites.