Special Correspondent Han Wen
South Korea, which actively moved closer to the Group of Seven (G7), received a cold reception. As for South Korea not being invited to the G7 summit to be held in Italy in June this year, the South Korean Presidential Office (Presidential Office) expressed respect for the decision. In response, some public opinion in South Korea pointed the finger at the Yoon Seok-yue government, saying that its failed foreign policy had led to today's embarrassing situation.
As soon as the news came out that South Korea was not invited to this year’s G7 summit, Kang Sun-woo, spokesperson of South Korea’s largest opposition Democratic Party, criticized the Yoon Seok-yue government at a press conference, saying, “This makes it difficult for the government, which is committed to strengthening its international status under the banner of ‘global hub country’, to The 'g7+ diplomacy' of the Yoon Seok-yue administration has been eclipsed." South Korea's "news1" reported that Jiang Xianyou also said that the Yin Xiyue government did not hesitate to sacrifice relations with China and strengthen alliance with Western countries such as the United States and Japan, but the results were disastrous. Relevant people from the Fatherland Reform Party also criticized that the Yin Xiyue government insists on ideal diplomacy and values diplomacy, let alone becoming a formal member of the G7, it is difficult to even be invited to participate in meetings.
A spokesman for the South Korean Presidential Office released the "Related Reference Materials on G7 Invitation Issues" to media reporters on the 20th, saying that the invited countries for the G7 summit are selected based on the issues of concern to the rotating chairman country every year. The South Korean Presidential Office stated that France in 2011, Germany in 2015 and Italy in 2017 all invited African countries, emphasizing that cooperation with the G7 cannot be limited to the summit meeting mechanism and must maintain close cooperation throughout the year. South Korea has been invited to participate in multiple G7 ministerial meetings this year and is actively participating in discussions in various fields. The g7 is composed of seven developed countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Japan. The rotating chairman country each year has the right to invite non-member states to participate in the meeting as observer states. South Korea has been invited to participate in the G7 summit three times since 2020.
According to Yonhap News Agency's report on the 21st, Yin Xiyue and Lee Jae-myung, leader of the largest opposition Democratic Party, will hold their first meeting at the Yongsan Presidential Palace this week. The issues discussed at this meeting have attracted much attention. ▲
