With the Trump administration having ignited a global trade war, South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party (DP) has turned to one of its most seasoned strategists to lead its foreign and economic policy response ahead of the upcoming June 3 presidential election.

Kim Hyun-chong — a veteran trade negotiator, former deputy national security adviser, and architect of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) — was appointed in February as the DP’s special adviser for foreign affairs and national security. He now also leads the party’s newly launched Trade Security Task Force.