Yoo Sang-beom: "Yoon's Trip to Ukraine Was a Political Judgment... He Went Despite Risky Situation"

Yoo Sang-beom, Senior Spokesperson of the Ruling Party, MBC Radio Interview
"Cancellation Due to Domestic Situation? Opposition's Political Attack"

Senior Spokesperson Yoo Sang-beom of the People Power Party emphasized that President Yoon Suk-yeol's sudden visit to Ukraine amid domestic flood damage was "a highly diplomatic and political decision."

Spokesperson Yoo appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 18th and said, "The situation of multiple deaths caused by floods domestically is an important matter," but added, "Visiting Ukraine, which is at war, to express international support is also a very diplomatically significant issue."

He stated, "Statements suggesting that diplomatic affairs should be canceled due to domestic circumstances are merely a kind of political attack by the Democratic Party, which does not understand diplomacy itself," and added, "If it were meaningless, it should be criticized, but in the case of the visit to Ukraine, it was actually a very risky situation for a head of state to visit, and he took that risk."

President Yoon Suk-yeol and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are shaking hands after a joint press conference following the South Korea-Ukraine summit at the Mariinsky Palace, the presidential residence in Kyiv, Ukraine, on the 15th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News Agency, Office of the President

Regarding a presidential office official's remark that "Even if President Yoon immediately returned to Seoul, the situation could not have been significantly changed," Yoo said, "The overall meaning was that the president was abroad but was sufficiently monitoring and directing the domestic flood situation, so it was explained that it was not necessarily required for him to return immediately," adding, "Nevertheless, it is always important to convey the exact meaning of certain words, and in that regard, there is some regret."

On the controversy over First Lady Kim Geon-hee's "luxury shopping," he said, "(Mrs. Kim's shopping was on the 11th) so it was not an action that disregarded the domestic situation, so there is little reason for it to be a major issue," adding, "However, the controversy seems to have arisen because of the timing when it was disclosed to the media."

Meanwhile, regarding flood recovery, Spokesperson Yoo said, "Currently, the president has given special instructions, and emergency investigation teams have been dispatched to five metropolitan areas to select special disaster zones," adding, "Normally, the process would proceed more slowly, but due to the president's special instructions, based on the investigation results of the metropolitan investigation teams, special disaster zones will be promptly designated to provide necessary support."

He continued, "At the party level, disaster response and recovery support situation rooms have been established in each city and province party branch, and even if there is no damage in some areas, all party members have decided to provide urgent recovery support and volunteer activities in the affected areas."

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