Acting defense chief unlikely to attend Shangri-La Dialogue next month
Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho speaks during a conference at the National Assesmbly in Seoul, April 14. Yonhap
Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho is unlikely to attend a major security forum in Singapore next month as Korea is set to hold a presidential election around then, a ministry official said Friday.
The annual Shangri-La Dialogue will take place in the city state from May 30 to June 1 this year, bringing together top defense officials from Asian and European nations, as well as the United States, for talks on security issues.
"There is a big possibility that he will not attend," the official told reporters. "It is right before the presidential election and considering various circumstances, (he) appears to have determined that it would be difficult to take part in it."
Kim reportedly considered attending the security conference but recently decided against traveling overseas right before the election.
Korea will hold a presidential election on June 3 after the Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol on April 4, removing him from office.
Korea's defense minister has attended the annual security forum every year since 2004.