Yoon Decides to Postpone Next Week's Germany and Denmark Visits

by Lee Kimin

Published 14 Feb.2024 15:05(KST)

Kishida's March Visit to Korea Under Review Report States "No Plans Underway"

It was reported on the 14th that President Yoon Suk-yeol has decided to postpone his planned visits to Germany and Denmark, which were scheduled for next week.

President Yoon and the Blue House reviewed various factors and reportedly sought understanding from the German and Danish sides.

Since his inauguration in May 2022, President Yoon has visited overseas a total of 16 times until December last year, but this is the first time he has canceled or postponed a scheduled trip.

Former presidents such as Chun Doo-hwan (Aung San Mausoleum bombing), Roh Tae-woo (then Emperor Hirohito’s health deterioration), and Kim Dae-jung (9/11 attacks) canceled overseas trips due to foreign circumstances.

Former presidents Roh Tae-woo (KBS union strike), Kim Young-sam (IMF financial crisis), Lee Myung-bak (follow-up measures related to the Cheonan sinking), and Park Geun-hye (MERS) reduced or postponed their overseas trips due to domestic schedules.

President Yoon also appears to have adjusted his overseas schedule amid various pressing issues ahead of the general election, including the controversy over First Lady Kim Keon-hee’s luxury handbag acceptance and opposition from medical associations regarding the expansion of medical school quotas.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee are greeting as they return on Air Force One at Seongnam Seoul Airport on the 26th after completing their state visit to the United Kingdom and schedule in France.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, regarding the report by the Japanese media outlet Fuji News Network (FNN) that Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio will visit South Korea next month for a Korea-Japan summit with President Yoon, a Blue House official responded, "There are currently no plans underway."

FNN reported that Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is considering visiting South Korea on the 20th of next month as part of shuttle diplomacy to hold a Korea-Japan summit and discuss North Korean issues.

FNN also noted that the day coincides with the opening game of the LA Dodgers, the team of player Shohei Ohtani, being held in Korea, and predicted that the movements of the two countries’ leaders will attract attention.