Speaker of the National Assembly to Attend Beijing Olympics, Hwang Hee Likely to Lead Government Delegation

Speaker Park Byeong-seok and Xi Jinping Lunch Meeting on China Invitation
Government Likely to Consider Ministerial Level for Delegation Representatives

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Park Byeong-seok, Speaker of the National Assembly, will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics in China on the 4th of next month.

Speaker of the National Assembly Park Byeong-seok is delivering the opening address at the 29th Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) General Assembly held on the 14th at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

With the dispatch of a diplomatic delegation by the Moon Jae-in administration still undecided, and considering that Park, who is second in the national protocol hierarchy, is attending the Beijing Olympics, the government delegation is likely to be led by Hwang Hee, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, who holds a ministerial rank.

On the 25th, the National Assembly announced in a press release that Speaker Park will visit China from the 3rd to the 6th of next month at the invitation of Li Zhanshu, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC).

During his visit, Speaker Park plans to discuss ways to expand parliamentary exchanges between the two countries, which are celebrating the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and to encourage the Korean athletes participating in the Beijing Olympics.

Speaker Park will attend the Olympic opening ceremony and a luncheon hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, and plans to hold a meeting with compatriots.

Although the Blue House and the government have not yet decided on the head of the delegation, with Speaker Park’s attendance confirmed, the possibility of Minister Hwang leading the delegation has increased. While the government is deliberating on the rank of the delegation, considering that China sent a vice-premier level official to the last Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, was also mentioned as a possible representative.

A diplomatic source said, "With the United States declaring a diplomatic boycott, the government has been considering the rank of the diplomatic delegation in light of relations with China, and found a clever solution by justifying the Speaker’s attendance as parliamentary diplomacy," adding, "The government delegation will likely be organized at the ministerial level."

“...found a clever solution,” adding, “The government delegation will likely be organized at the ministerial level.”

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