President Yoon Seok-yeol attended a reception hosted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace in London on the 18th (local time) and started an official tour of the UK, the US and Canada for 7 days and 5 nights.
Kim Eun-hye, senior secretary for public relations in the presidential office, met with reporters at the Hilton on Park Lane Hotel in London, England that afternoon, and President Yoon met Charles III at the reception to convey his condolences and said, “I will never forget the Queen, who has always dedicated herself as a guardian of freedom and peace. “The Korean people are also sharing this sadness,” he said.
Charles III said, “I express my deep gratitude for coming here from such a distant place,” and expressed his gratitude for President Yoon’s visit to England while rescheduling his existing tour.
King Charles III introduced Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Crown Princess Kate Middleton one by one to President Yun, and the Crown Princess and King Charles III expressed their desire to visit Korea. President Yoon responded that he welcomed them at any time, Kim said.
President Yun, who attended the reception held by King Charles III of England at 6 pm on the same day, stayed at Buckingham Palace where the ceremony was held for about an hour and exchanged greetings with the heads of state, among them his first overseas tour since his accession in 2019. There was also a married couple, Emperor Naruhito, who visited England.
President Yoon also met and chatted with British Prime Minister Liz Truss, US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, EU President Charles Michel, and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. In particular, it is reported that they greeted President Biden warmly and promised to meet again at the United Nations soon.
Chief Kim said, “Some schedules that President Yun tried to digest before attending the reception were canceled due to circumstances.”
Earlier, President Yoon met with reporters on the plane shortly after arriving in London and said, “Today’s schedule is three things: a flower arrangement at the Korean War Memorial of Korea, a memorial (to Queen Elizabeth II), and a reception (hosted by King Charles III).” “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do all three or just two because of traffic in London,” he said.
On the morning of the 19th, President Yoon will attend a funeral held at Westminster Abbey in central London.
Then, with the ‘National Medal Award Ceremony’ to the Korean War veterans, the tour ends in London for two days and one night, and moves to New York, USA to attend the UN General Assembly.
Meanwhile, in a phone call with Prime Minister Han Deok-soo on a flight bound for London at 9:15 pm (5:15 am Korean time) on the same day, President Yoon ordered the active use of administrative force for public safety.
“The most important golden time for responding to a typhoon is the late afternoon of the 19th, when Korea is completely free from the sphere of influence of the typhoon,” said President Yoon.
In particular, he urged local governments to quickly determine dangerous situations such as flooding of roads and actively use administrative power for public safety, such as evacuation orders and traffic restrictions.