Lee Jae-myung on Yoon's Trip Postponement: "A Diplomatic Disaster Ruining the Economy"

Lee Jae-myung "Is North Korean Provocation Serious Enough to Cancel the Trip?"
Hong Ik-pyo "Germany's Report on Kim Gun-hee's Luxury Bag... Pathetic"

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized President Yoon Suk-yeol's decision to postpone his official visits to Germany and Denmark, calling it a "diplomatic disaster."

At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 16th, Lee said, "It is truly rare to suddenly cancel a state-level diplomatic schedule between countries," and pointed out, "(President Yoon) is causing not only a diplomatic disaster but also a security disaster in the process of making many overseas trips." He added, "What is outrageous is that the reason given was 'concerns about North Korean provocations,'" and criticized, "Even if you make excuses, there are proper ones to make. How can you suddenly cancel state diplomacy by putting national security on the line as the reason?"

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung is listening to Floor Leader Hong Ik-pyo's remarks at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 16th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

He continued, "Is the concern about North Korean provocations really so great that we must give up overseas trips or state diplomacy?" and questioned, "If that is the case, what will happen to South Korea's economy?" He further said, "From the perspective of overseas investors, wouldn't they inevitably think that North Korea might launch a sudden invasion?" and added, "Just a little thought about how much these issues affect the economy makes it clear that this is an unacceptable story. This is not diplomacy for the livelihood and economy, but an act that destroys the livelihood and economy."

Hong Ik-pyo, floor leader of the Democratic Party, also added, "President Yoon Suk-yeol's cancellation of the trip is a tremendous diplomatic faux pas," and said, "It has lowered the dignity and prestige of the Republic of Korea." He criticized, "Since the business delegation organized to attend the business forum was also canceled, various discussions related to businesspeople have all been halted," and added, "This will have an even worse impact on our economy."

In particular, he said, "What is more pathetic is that a German economic newspaper reported the article titled 'South Korean President Postpones Visit to Germany' along with suspicions regarding First Lady Kim Keon-hee's receipt of luxury handbags," and added, "It can be seen as a report implying that the two issues are linked."

He continued, "The local protocol officer in charge said it was a state visit, but they were baffled because the presence of the First Lady was not finally confirmed," and criticized, "Why was that? Whether it was due to security concerns or some other reason, President Yoon knows best."

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