South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol in hot seat over trips to France, Netherlands

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol is mired in controversy over his recent international trips, with reports alleging he had “a secret drinking session” with accompanying tycoons in France.

Meanwhile, the Korean ambassador to the Netherlands has been summoned by the Dutch government over Yoon staffers’ excessive demands on presidential protocol.

The Hankyoreh newspaper reported on Friday that Yoon had a closed-door dinner and drinks at a Korean restaurant in Paris on November 24. Attending was Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai executive chair Chung Euisun and other business leaders who accompanied Yoon to assist in Busan’s bid to host the World Expo 2030.

The dinner was four days before the Expo’s governing body held a vote to select the host city of the 2030 event. Busan lost to Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh in a 29-119 count, despite the efforts by the government, the public and major Korean businesses.

It was Yoon’s second visit to Paris this year as part of campaigning to promote the city’s bid. The presidential office described the trip as “a tireless journey that wasted not even a second”, while the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) raised suspicion that it could have been a junket.

“While spending taxpayer’s money for a foreign visit, Yoon had a soju bomb dinner with conglomerates. Since when did binge drinking become a tireless journey?” DPK spokesperson Kang Sun-woo said in a commentary.

“Is the reason for bringing business leaders on foreign trips to find someone to join in the drinking sessions? No wonder a shocking outcome of 29-119 has unfolded.”

Lee Un-ju, a former lawmaker of the ruling People Power Party, said in a radio interview with CBS that Yoon and his cohort’s behaviour gives a misconception to foreign investors that Korea is a corrupt country where the government and businesses collude.

Meanwhile, the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported that the Dutch government summoned the Korean Ambassador to the Netherlands, Choe Hyoung-chan, on December 1, 10 days before Yoon made the state visit, to express “concerns and requests” over Seoul’s various demands on presidential security and protocol.

Dutch giant ASML, Samsung sign deal to build chip plant in Korea

Citing an unnamed diplomatic source, the report alleged that the Netherlands attempted to consult on requests that could not be accepted through diplomatic channels, but decided to summon the ambassador in protest.

Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the ambassador had “consultations” with Dutch officials, and that it was “a communication to narrow the two sides’ discrepancies promptly”.

The ministry also revealed a message from Dutch Chief of Protocol Dominique Kuhling, in which he said: “I appreciated the can-do mentality of your team, it was truly a pleasure working with them.”

Despite the message, pundits are interpreting the “can-do mentality” as a sign that there were excessive demands from the South Korean side.

“The visit was the first state visit 62 years after forming diplomatic ties in 1961, and President Yoon has downgraded it to king’s diplomacy aimed at enjoying fancy protocol, not a presidential diplomacy that prioritises national interests,” the DPK’s Kwon Chil-seung said.