Prime Minister Kim Min-seok canceled a trip to China over the Middle East crisis.
The Prime Minister's Office said on the 23rd that the trip to China, scheduled for the 24th to 29th of this month, was canceled. Kim had planned to attend the Boao Forum in Hainan Island, China, and deliver a keynote speech.
The office said in a text notice that "with recent military clashes and tensions in the Middle East, complex external risks are mounting," and "their ripple effects are spreading across the overall national economy and livelihoods."
It added, "As establishing a government-level response system is urgent, related decisions and announcements are imminent," and "we ask for your understanding that the prime minister's trip to China has been canceled in light of these circumstances."
The government plans to launch an emergency economic response headquarters on the 24th to address the Middle East situation. With reports that Kim will serve as the head of the headquarters, the move is seen as an intent to focus more on stabilizing the domestic situation than on the China trip.
The Prime Minister's Office said, "We provided sufficient advance explanation to the other country through diplomatic channels and sought deep understanding."