Trump appoints Grenell as special envoy for N. Korea issues

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) chose Richard Grenell, former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, as presidential envoy for special missions involving North Korea issues.

“Ric will work in some of the hottest spots around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea,” Trump told on his Truth Social account, adding that he would “always put AMERICA FIRST.”

Grenell, one of Trump’s closest figures referred to as a possible candidate for secretary of state in the upcoming new administration, served as ambassador to Germany, acting director of national intelligence, and a special envoy for peace negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo during Trump’s first term. He once caused great repercussions when he argued in June 2020, during his term as ambassador to Germany, that the Trump administration had considered withdrawing U.S. troops from South Korea.

Given his career history, the appointment demonstrates how determined Trump is to engage in dialogue with the regime. President-elect Trump said in an interview with the U.S. weekly magazine Time last Thursday, “I know Kim Jong Un, I get along very well with Kim Jong Un. I'm probably the only one he's ever really dealt with.”

Some worry that Washington may put Seoul, which has recently suffered a power vacuum, on the sidelines as this firm believer in America-first policy, who previously disclosed the U.S. administration's thinking about the withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea, takes the helm of dealing with the regime. “The ministry will take necessary diplomatic action to prevent any possible security issues," South Korean Foreign Affairs Minister Cho Tae-yul said at a press conference on Saturday.


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