Hun Sen, Cambodian Prime Minister Who Met Yoon and Biden, Tests Positive for COVID-19... Global Alert

Absence from G20 Dinner Due to COVID-19 Diagnosis
Also Holds Summit Meeting with President Yoon

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (left), President Yoon Suk-yeol (center), and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen attended the ASEAN+3 (South Korea, China, Japan) summit held at a hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on the morning of the 12th (local time) and are taking a commemorative photo. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, the host of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, tested positive for COVID-19 after meeting with various world leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden, Bloomberg reported on the 14th (local time).

According to the report, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced via social media (SNS) that he tested positive for COVID-19 and would be unable to attend the welcome dinner for the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit being held in Bali, Indonesia.

The news of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s positive diagnosis has raised concerns about COVID-19 infections among world leaders. Earlier, on the 9th, Hun Sen held talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who visited Phnom Penh at Cambodia’s invitation. The two leaders discussed issues related to Cambodian agricultural imports and the 'China-Cambodia Friendship Event' scheduled for next year, marking the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Then, on the 13th, Hun Sen held his first bilateral meeting with President Biden, who visited Cambodia to attend the ASEAN Summit. After the meeting, President Biden and Prime Minister Hun Sen sat side by side to watch a traditional performance at the dinner event. President Biden, aged 79, has received five vaccine doses to date and tested positive for COVID-19 in July.

Bloomberg stated, "At the press conference that day, President Biden coughed lightly and mentioned feeling under the weather," adding, "The White House has not made any immediate comments as the G20 Summit is approaching."

Additionally, Prime Minister Hun Sen held a summit meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who embarked on a 4-night, 6-day Southeast Asia tour, at the Sokha Hotel in Phnom Penh on the 11th, and reportedly had contact with French President Emmanuel Macron and others. During the summit, world leaders attended meetings and took commemorative photos with Prime Minister Hun Sen without wearing masks.