Deputy PM Koo cancels G20 trip at airport in abrupt about-face

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun-cheol abruptly canceled his trip to the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in the United States.

According to government sources, Koo arrived at Incheon International Airport on Sunday morning to depart for the G20 meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, but turned back without boarding his flight.

All bilateral meetings on his schedule — including a planned sit-down with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — were also called off.

The cancellation is believed to be unrelated to any circumstances on the part of the Ministry of Economy and Finance or the G20.

Some observers are linking the move to Koo's future in the cabinet, noting that Cheong Wa Dae is currently working on a second round of cabinet reshuffles. The unusual spectacle of a senior minister traveling all the way to the airport only to turn back on the eve of a major diplomatic engagement has fueled speculation that his tenure may be at stake.