South Korea’s Yoon delays trip to Germany, Denmark ahead of election

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has postponed his planned trip next week to Germany and Denmark, his office said on Wednesday.

Yoon had been scheduled to depart for Berlin on Sunday for talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who visited Seoul in May, and make a stop in Copenhagen.

Yoon’s office said it has decided to postpone the trip after considering various issues and consulting both countries, without elaborating.

The delay came as Yoon’s ruling party is striving to recapture a majority in parliament from the opposition in an election on April 10.

Some opposition lawmakers have accused Yoon of making overseas trips too often without concrete achievements, a claim his office has dismissed as groundless.

He also faced controversy over hidden camera footage showing first lady Kim Keon Hee receiving a luxury bag as a gift from a pastor.

Yoon has said the filming and release of the video was a “political manoeuvre” but pledged to take steps to prevent a recurrence of such an incident.