Korea's 'Yongsan Recasting' Remark Denied by Presidential Office
Despite Han Dong-han Neglect Controversy, "No Intent"
Post-Meeting 'Yoon-Han' Conflict Deepens
President Yoon Suk-yeol is having a conversation with Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, in front of the Fine Glass at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 21st. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The Presidential Office rebutted Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, who said at a 친한 (Chinhan-donghoon) faction dinner, "Yongsan is not the time to embellish the words," stating, "We would like him to specify which parts are distorted and why."
Regarding the criticism that there was 'protocol neglect' during the meeting between President Yoon Suk-yeol and Leader Han, the office also stated, "This is a story that deviates from the essence," and clarified, "There was absolutely no such intention."
A Presidential Office official met with reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the afternoon of the 23rd and said, "In this grave political situation, the ruling party and government must unite to overcome these difficulties," expressing this stance.
Regarding Leader Han's remark about embellishment, the official said, "We explained the results of the meeting as they were," and added, "If he tells us which parts are distorted, we will review them."
Earlier, the Presidential Office held a briefing the previous day and introduced President Yoon's remarks during the meeting on the 21st. It was reported that Leader Han made a remark at the 친한 faction dinner that evening implying that Yongsan had embellished the words.
Additionally, Leader Han reportedly said regarding the three proposals related to First Lady Kim Keon-hee, "Yongsan is at the point of saying 'yes' or 'no'."
The Presidential Office official said, "Regarding the 'yes' or 'no' part, we already provided answers one by one yesterday, including some 'plus alpha' details," referring to President Yoon's responses.
President Yoon Suk-yeol is meeting with Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 21st, and they are moving to a tea room for conversation. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The Presidential Office also rebutted claims of 'protocol neglect' directed at Leader Han, mainly from the 친한 faction.
The official said, "There are claims that protocol neglect was planned, but I think that is a distorted interpretation," emphasizing, "Protocol neglect is a story that deviates from the essence, and there was absolutely no such intention."
The 친한 faction points out that on the day of the meeting, President Yoon arrived about 25 minutes late from the scheduled time, the meeting place, Pine Grass, was small, and the table arrangement was inappropriate.
The Presidential Office official explained, "Pine Grass is the place where we had dinner with ruling party lawmakers," adding, "It was selected with the idea of taking a walk since there is a lawn."
Regarding President Yoon's tardiness, the official said, "There was a security-related meeting just before the meeting about North Korea's deployment to Russia," and "Also, the meeting with the British Foreign Secretary was delayed by more than 15 minutes, causing the meeting to be delayed by about 20 minutes."
He added, "The Senior Secretary for Political Affairs continuously shared the delay situation directly, and President Yoon explained upon arrival that he was late due to various reasons."
Regarding the meeting being held at a long table facing each other instead of a round table, the official said, "There is no round table at that location where the President and Leader Han could sit together," but also noted, "I also think, is the shape of the table that important for having a conversation?"
President Yoon Suk-yeol is having a conversation with Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, in front of the Fine Glass at the Yongsan Presidential Office in Seoul on the 21st. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Regarding the controversy over the meeting photos released by the Presidential Office, they said there was 'no intention.'
In the photos distributed by the Presidential Office after the meeting, President Yoon is seen with both arms resting on the table, and only the back of Leader Han is visible. The 친한 faction reacted by saying, "The photos give the impression of a principal lecturing students."
The Presidential Office official emphasized, "There are various comments about the photos, but we took them quickly within a limited time and selected one from photos taken from various angles," adding, "There was absolutely no intention behind it."
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