Korea-Japan Leaders Had No Chance to Even Brush Shoulders

President Moon's Final European Visit: State Visit to Hungary, Memorial for Cruise Ship Accident, and Scheduled Summit Meeting

[Asia Economy Reporters Ryu Jeong-min and Lee Ji-eun] As the final schedule of his European tour, President Moon Jae-in, who is on a state visit to Hungary, will hold a summit meeting with President ?der on the 3rd (local time). This is the first visit by a Korean president to Hungary in 20 years since 2001.

On the morning of the 3rd, President Moon will attend the official welcoming ceremony in Hungary, followed by separate meetings with President ?der and Prime Minister Orb?n. In the afternoon, he will attend the Korea-Visegr?d Group (V4) Business Forum together with Prime Minister Orb?n.

The Visegr?d Group consists of four Central European countries: Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary. Bilateral talks with each V4 country are also planned. A Blue House official explained, "The V4 is our largest export market within the European Union (EU) and a key investment destination where over 650 Korean companies have entered," adding, "We plan to have in-depth discussions to ensure concrete cooperation in areas such as nuclear power, new airports, and defense."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the afternoon of the 2nd, immediately after arriving at Budapest International Airport in Hungary, President Moon visited the memorial site near Margaret Bridge to pay tribute to the victims of the cruise ship accident.

The Hungarian cruise ship accident occurred in May 2019. A sightseeing boat (Hable?ny) carrying 33 Korean tourists and 2 Hungarian crew members collided with a large cruise ship (Viking Sigyn) on the Danube River, resulting in many casualties.

The Hungarian government has established a memorial monument, memorial altar, and memorial tree (ginkgo) at the accident site to mourn the victims. President Moon said, "The Korean people will not forget the heartfelt condolences expressed by the Hungarian government and people."

Meanwhile, the anticipated meeting between the Korean and Japanese leaders, which was a focal point at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) held in Glasgow, UK, ultimately did not take place. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida joined COP26 late due to his country's general election schedule.

Moreover, he did not attend the launch ceremony of the Global Methane Pledge, so he did not meet President Moon. With no meeting between the two leaders, the improvement of Korea-Japan relations remains an unresolved challenge.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.