S. Korea-Central Asia summit postponed to next year amid political fallout
An envisioned summit between South Korean and Central Asian leaders has been postponed to 2026, a senior Seoul diplomat said Friday, citing the political fallout in South Korea following the failed martial law attempt by ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, Yonhap reports.
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo confirmed the decision during a parliamentary session, as he delivered to the National Assembly the ministry's second supplementary budget for this year being set at 4.23 trillion won (US$3.11 billion), down 1.4 percent from the first extra budget.
"After considering all relevant circumstances, including the positions of the Central Asian countries and our own internal schedule, it became difficult to propose a viable date within this year," Park told lawmakers.
Yoon's short-lived martial law attempt triggered a snap election earlier this month, resulting in the election of President Lee Jae Myung. Yoon was impeached and removed from office in April.
Regarding the possibility of a summit between Lee and U.S. President Donald Trump, Park said that the government is aiming to hold the summit at a "mutually convenient" time.
Asked about ongoing U.S. tariff negotiations, Park said the ministry is taking a "bottom-up" approach rather than a "top-down" one.
"(We're) gradually building consensus through working-level discussions with relevant U.S. authorities, with the goal of meeting the key deadline," he said.
As reported previously, South Korea will push to develop hydrogen-based steelmaking technology by 2030 to support the local steel industry's efforts to bolster its global competitiveness and achieve carbon neutrality.
