After the dismissal of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, ministers and vice ministers nearing the end of their terms have been heading abroad one after another. With less than 50 days remaining until the new government takes office, concerns are being raised about the appropriateness of these overseas trips.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 16th, Vice Minister Kang In-seon will visit Paris, France, for a 3-night, 4-day trip starting today. Vice Minister Kang previously served as the first spokesperson for the Presidential Office under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited "discussions on economic issues" and "attendance at public institution meetings" as reasons for the visit but remained silent on whether the visit was by invitation from the host country. Minister Cho Tae-yeol is also away on a business trip to Vietnam. A Foreign Ministry official stated, "Even without an invitation, the trip can proceed through consultations."
Minister Kang Jung-ae of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs also visited Washington D.C., USA, from the 12th to the 14th. Officially, the purpose was "to pay respects to Korean War veterans and visit independence movement historical sites." However, since it was a solo trip not as part of the presidential delegation and did not coincide with the Korean War Memorial Day, it has sparked criticism. Minister Kang, who graduated from Sookmyung Women's University where former President Yoon’s wife Kim Keon-hee also graduated, was a controversial figure even at the time of her appointment. A Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs official said, "Due to the political situation, we considered whether the minister’s attendance was appropriate, but decided to significantly reduce the schedule to cover only key events and return promptly."
Earlier, Minister Kim Young-ho of the Ministry of Unification visited Japan from the 9th to the 11th. It is rare for a sitting Minister of Unification to visit Japan. When asked whether the Japanese government had extended an invitation, a Unification Ministry official avoided answering, saying, "It is not appropriate to disclose diplomatic consultations between the two countries."
Minister Oh Young-joo, who was controversially appointed as head of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups despite being a former diplomat, is currently visiting San Francisco and Atlanta in the United States starting from the 16th.
A professor familiar with diplomatic affairs pointed out, "Trips abroad funded by taxpayers for ministers and vice ministers who are not elected officials need to be monitored," adding, "If non-urgent trips are unusually concentrated in the current political climate, they should be subject to criticism."
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