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| President Yoon Suk-yeol signs a condolence book at Church House in London, Monday, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters-Yonhap |
By Jung Min-ho
President Yoon Suk-yeol failed to pay his respects properly to British Queen Elizabeth II, who was lying in state at Westminster Hall in London, on the day of his arrival there. Yoon missing viewing the coffin on his first day in London has made him vulnerable to criticism by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which called it a "diplomatic disaster."
According to a senior official at the presidential office Tuesday, Yoon was planning to visit the queen lying in state and then sign the condolence book on Sunday (local time) shortly after he arrived, but his plans were delayed due to traffic.
Rep. Kim Sung-whan of the main opposition DPK accused Yoon and his entourage of making unreasonable excuses.
"Many people are wondering why he failed to offer condolences [before the funeral service the next day], while [the leaders of] the U.S., Canada, Japan, China, Brazil and Ukraine were able to do so," Kim said during a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul. "If Yoon didn't know about the traffic situation, he is incompetent. If he did, it was a major diplomatic failure and a disaster."
Tak Hyun-min, who served as a protocol secretary of Yoon's predecessor Moon Jae-in, said the meaning of signing the condolence book after the funeral cannot be the same as before the service.
"Yoon should have arrived there earlier, at least by one or two hours," he said during an MBC radio program. "They committed a discourtesy. The foreign ministry and the office in charge of the president's protocol are responsible for it."
Other DPK lawmakers, including Rep. Seo Young-kyo and Rep. Kim Young-bae, also vowed to hold the presidential office and the ministry accountable for the issue.
Rep. Joo Ho-young, the floor leader of the ruling People Power Party, dismissed such claims as nothing more than "baseless criticism."
"Rival parties had refrained from attacking the president when he or she was traveling for diplomatic reasons. Only a few months ago, the DPK was the governing party and I'm sure it knows well what the president's diplomacy means for the country," Joo said. "I urge all DPK members to respect him as a person representing our country."
The previous day, Kim Eun-hye, senior presidential secretary for press affairs, said there was no diplomatic error and the delay of Yoon's schedule was determined after a request from the British government.
"It is regrettable that such a sad situation has been exploited for domestic politics," Kim told reporters in London. She added that some other presidents and prime ministers also signed the book after the funeral.
In the book, the president said he was "honored to have been among the contemporaries of the queen who had lived a life dedicated to protecting freedom and peace," and that Korea "will remember Queen Elizabeth II forever," according to Kim.
Britain and the world bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II on Monday with a state funeral that drew world leaders ― and so many others ― to pay their last respects at Westminster Abbey for the somber service.
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