Gominjeong "Another Diplomatic Disaster... Not Salesperson No.1 but Risk No.1"

Ahead of Yoon's State Visit, Dutch Ambassador Summoned
Gominjeong: "Those Responsible Must Be Held Accountable"

Ko Min-jung, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized the report that the Dutch government summoned the South Korean ambassador ahead of President Yoon Seok-yeol's state visit to protest "excessive security and protocol demands," saying, "The person responsible should be held accountable."

At the Supreme Council meeting on the 15th, Ko said, "Summoning the ambassador of a counterpart country is an act of protest usually reserved for serious diplomatic conflicts, such as territorial disputes over Dokdo," adding, "It seems necessary to investigate the officials involved, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs protocol chief and the Presidential Office protocol secretariat."

Ko Min-jung, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea. [Image source=Yonhap News]

He said, "I hoped this visit would conclude safely, but it seems there was another diplomatic fiasco this time as well," and continued, "According to the reports, the Presidential Office requested an elevator interview at the visit site citing security needs, demanded visits exceeding the set limit of personnel to the cleanroom schedule of ASML, a semiconductor equipment company’s confidential facility, and especially, the Presidential Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and embassy communicated these demands sporadically through various channels."

He added, "If the Netherlands rudely summoned our ambassador, the government should also express strong regret," but emphasized, "If it was our fault, the responsible person should be held accountable."

Targeting President Yoon, Ko criticized, "Over the past year, many people have pointed out the same issues whenever there were problems related to state visits and tours, but only the president has not changed," and said, "He has become not the top salesperson, but the top risk."

He then urged, "The president’s term is at most five years," and "Since it is a temporary position, please do not further diminish the national dignity of the Republic of Korea."

On the same day, JoongAng Ilbo reported that about ten days before President Yoon’s state visit to the Netherlands (from the 11th to the 15th), the Dutch government summoned Choi Hyung-chan, South Korea’s ambassador to the Netherlands, to express concerns over South Korea’s excessive security and protocol demands.

Regarding this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "It was part of communication aimed at swiftly coordinating detailed matters related to the schedule and protocol as the state visit approached."

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