Yoon's Aide in Scuffle with Brazilian Security Guards
Yoon Also Pauses Amid Physical Struggle
Yongsan: "Brazilian On-Site Bodyguard's Mistake"
President Yoon Suk-yeol is greeting while boarding Air Force One at Gale?o Air Force Base in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after completing the 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and 19th Group of Twenty (G20) summit schedules on the 20th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News.
President Yoon Suk-yeol was involved in a physical altercation between a South Korean interpreter and Brazilian security personnel while entering the G20 (Group of Twenty) summit event held in Brazil. Regarding this, the Presidential Office explained that it was "due to a mistake on the Brazilian side" and that "an apology was received."
According to the Presidential Office, President Yoon entered the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, where the third session of the G20 summit was held, on the 19th (local time). At that time, the interpreter accompanying President Yoon was following him, but Brazilian security personnel tried to stop them, leading to a physical confrontation.
As a result, President Yoon was startled and stopped walking. The interpreter involved in the altercation even walked ahead of President Yoon during the scuffle with the Brazilian security personnel. The broadcast was cut off immediately after the clash.
Among the leaders attending the G20 summit that day, only South Korea experienced such a confrontation.
The Presidential Office and the government explained that this situation was a confusion caused by internal communication issues within Brazil.
Although South Korea had requested prior cooperation from the Brazilian side regarding President Yoon bringing an interpreter, the Brazilian side missed this information.
A Presidential Office official stated, "We requested cooperation in advance through the Brazilian liaison officer that our interpreter must enter the summit venue together with the President," adding, "However, this incident occurred due to a mistake by the Brazilian on-site security personnel who did not receive this information at the operational level."
He continued, "The liaison officer on-site explained the situation again to the security personnel, allowing our interpreter to enter the summit venue normally with the President," and "The liaison officer apologized for the temporary obstruction of our interpreter's entry caused by the Brazilian security personnel's operational mistake."
The interpreter involved in the altercation is Administrative Officer Kim Won-jip, a former Ministry of Foreign Affairs officer. He belongs to the Protocol Secretary's Office and is responsible for interpreting duties for President Yoon.
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