President Yoon Seok-yeol met with Martin Henkelmann, president and CEO of the Korea-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, during a luncheon with foreign companies based in Korea in Seoul on Wednesday. The Blue House announced that Yun had postponed his planned visit to Germany and Denmark next week, without giving reasons.Provided by the presidential palace
The presidential palace remains silent about the reason for the postponement.
Written by Nam Hyun Woo
President Yoon Seok-yeol suddenly postponed a planned visit to Germany and Denmark just days before his scheduled departure.
The Blue House announced on Wednesday that Yoon was scheduled to visit Germany and Denmark next week, but after considering various factors, it was decided to postpone the visit. The department did not elaborate on “a variety of factors,” the specific reasons for the delay, the timing of the decision or other details related to the sudden decision. Officials said the secretariat reached this conclusion after consulting with the countries visited.
According to reports, Yun was originally scheduled to make a state visit to Germany and an official visit to Denmark starting Sunday. The president’s visit to Germany was aimed at strengthening ties between South Korean and German small and medium-sized enterprises, while Denmark was expected to focus on bilateral cooperation in renewable energy, biomedical and other industries.
On December 12, 2023, President Yun Seok-Yeol and his wife Kim Kun-hee sit in a car after arriving at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport for a state visit to the Netherlands. This was Yoon’s latest overseas trip.United
The unexpected decision caused confusion among the diplomatic and business delegations that were scheduled to accompany the president on his visit.
An industry source familiar with the trip said on condition of anonymity, “We suddenly received a notice from the presidential palace about the delay.” The official added that there was no further explanation from the presidential office regarding the postponement.
Another official at a foreign company scheduled to participate in the presidential visit said his organization did not learn of the postponement until Tuesday.
Both the German and Danish embassies in Seoul did not respond to inquiries from The Korea Times regarding the reason for the delay.
Rumors and speculation are already circulating that the reason for the delay is related to the political and social situation within South Korea.
Yoon is currently grappling with negative public opinion related to the controversy surrounding his wife, Kim Kun-hee, who has accompanied him on most of his overseas trips. At the same time, Seoul is preparing for a general election in April, the outcome of which will determine whether Mr. Yoon retains control of national politics for the remainder of his presidential term.
The decision to postpone the trip may have been influenced by unforeseen circumstances and possible public criticism, especially given past instances during Yun’s absence. For example, last July, as massive floods wreaked havoc in parts of South Korea, Yoon extended his trip to make a surprise visit to Ukraine. This sparked significant criticism as it was seen as ignoring public safety concerns.
In addition, doctors are strongly opposed to Yun’s plan to increase the number of medical staff, and the country is on the verge of a large-scale strike by doctors and medical workers.
On November 25, 2023, President Yoon Seok-yeol and his wife Kim Kun-hee greet Mr. Yoon at Orly Airport in Paris before he returns from his trip to France.Korea Times Photo: Seo Jae-hoon
If the trip were to proceed, it would have been Yun’s 16th overseas visit. In particular, this is the first time that Yoon has had to postpone or cancel a planned overseas trip.
There have been cases in the past when South Korean presidents’ visits to Japan have been postponed, but in most cases explanations were given that were acceptable to the people.
From the 1980s to the 2000s, presidents postponed or canceled visits for a variety of reasons, including terrorist attacks or concerns about political issues in the host country. For example, in October 1983, then-President Chun Doo-hwan canceled a planned trip to Australia, New Zealand, India, and other countries following an assassination attempt by North Korea during his previous visit to Myanmar.
Former President Roh Tae-woo canceled his visit to Japan in 1988 due to the health condition of then-Emperor Showa, and former President Kim Dae-jung also canceled his visit to the United States after the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
More recently, former President Lee Myung-bak postponed a visit to Mexico and African countries in 2010 due to the sinking of South Korea’s Cheonan ship. Former President Park Geun-hye postponed her visit to the United States in 2015 due to an outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome in the country.
Yoon’s predecessor, Moon Jae-in, canceled a trip to the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Egypt scheduled for March 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak.