South Korean President to skip NATO summit due to domestic issues, Middle East crisis: presidential office
Baku, June 23, AZERTAC
President of South Korea Lee Jae-myung will not attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit scheduled for this week in the Netherlands, citing domestic priorities and growing uncertainty in the Middle East, Yonhap News Agency reported citing the presidential office.
Lee had considered participating in the summit, which is set to take place from Tuesday to Wednesday in The Hague, with hopes of meeting U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss trade tariffs and security issues.
But Lee ultimately decided not to attend the NATO summit, the office said, after the United States' recent strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran, marking a major escalation in the ongoing war between Iran and Israel.
"Despite the numerous pressing state affairs following the president's inauguration, the government had actively considered President Lee's attendance at the NATO summit," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing.
"However, after comprehensively reviewing various domestic matters and the volatile situation in the Middle East, the president decided not to attend the summit," Kang added.
The potential participation of other government officials will be discussed in consultation with NATO, she noted.
Last week, Lee attended the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada in his first overseas trip since his inauguration on June 4.
He was scheduled to have a one-on-one meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit, but it did not take place as Trump departed early to respond to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.
This would mark South Korea's first absence from the NATO summit in four years. The country had attended the summit for the past three years under the previous conservative administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol, which maintained closer alignment with the U.S. under former U.S. President Joe Biden.
At this year's summit, NATO members are expected to agree to raise their defense spending targets to 5 percent of gross domestic product, in response to demands from Trump.
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