South Korea’s president didn’t meet Nancy Pelosi due to staycation

Yoon’s choice despatched South Korea’s presidential office scrambling to downplay accusations that he shunned a conference with Pelosi in a bid to placate China, as South Korea navigates the soaring level of competition concerning its biggest buying and selling lover and the United States, its greatest protection ally.

The political novice, who received the presidency with the narrowest margin ever in South Korea, faces plummeting acceptance ratings significantly less than three months soon after having place of work. He has vowed to make his nation a “global pivotal state” and a geopolitical power.

But his obtrusive absence on the international stage fired up critics, who accused the conservative South Korean president of deliberately shunning Pelosi out of worries about retaliation from Beijing. Her controversial go to to Taiwan escalated tensions concerning the self-governing island and Beijing.

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Yoon’s workplace said he scrapped his summertime travel strategies and opted for a Seoul staycation to plan for long term political activities and rest at household.

Yoon’s spokesman, Choi Young-bum, claimed the president’s summer months holiday was planned in advance of Pelosi’s Asia excursion and that Yoon attended the theater functionality right before Pelosi’s airplane arrived. In accordance to Choi, Yoon mentioned he was not available to satisfy Pelosi, who flew to South Korea that evening.

“I have been given concerns about whether the president prevented meeting with the House speaker simply because he was cautious of China,” Choi said. “All these issues are decided dependent on a complete thing to consider of our country’s nationwide curiosity.”

He also dismissed a reporter’s concern suggesting that Yoon’s unavailability signaled a shift in Seoul’s alignment amid the U.S.-China rivalry, contacting the question an “exaggeration.”

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In position of an in-particular person conference, the South Korean president and Pelosi spoke by mobile phone late Thursday about strengthening the bilateral alliance and cooperating on regional security challenges, in accordance to a readout from Yoon’s workplace.

Yoon, who took workplace in Could, pledged to “rebuild” the U.S.-South Korean alliance, which he claimed deteriorated beneath outgoing liberal president Moon Jae-in. The Moon administration sought to function with allies of North Korea, notably China, to aid broker a peace deal with Pyongyang.

While Yoon vowed a more robust political stance on Beijing, South Korea still walks a fine line. South Korea’s proper-leaning Chosun Ilbo newspaper ran an editorial titled, “Yoon’s avoidance of Pelosi conference may send improper signals to the U.S. and China.” The paper warned the South Korean government that a “submissive attitude” toward China can change geopolitical associations.

Pelosi is scheduled to fly to Japan late Thursday right after checking out the seriously fortified demilitarized zone involving South and North Korea. In their cell phone dialogue, Yoon referred to as her take a look at to the border location “a sign of a potent deterrence versus North Korea,” his presidential office explained.

Japanese Primary Minister Fumio Kishida is scheduled to meet with Pelosi on Friday on the final stop of her trip.