Foreign Ministry pushes back against criticism of presidential overseas trips

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs pushed back Sunday against criticism of President Lee Jae Myung's overseas trips, saying it is "not appropriate to downplay the significance of a presidential tour by highlighting only some scenes of personal rapport and cultural exchange without considering the full itinerary and substantive outcomes of summit diplomacy."

In a formal statement, the ministry said summit diplomacy is "a core diplomatic activity in which the president directly communicates with leaders of major countries on behalf of the Republic of Korea and discusses important issues for the national interest and the country's future."

The pushback comes amid an ongoing political dispute in the National Assembly, where the opposition party has raised questions during the national audit about the frequency of Lee's overseas trips and the first lady's accompanying role.

The ministry cited the Korea-Japan leaders' drum performance and cultural exchange events during Lee's visits to France and Mexico as examples, explaining their diplomatic significance and context.

On the drum performance between the Korean and Japanese leaders, the ministry said it took place during a fellowship event after their summit and was "an event prepared in advance by the Japanese side as the host country without prior public announcement," adding that "personal rapport activities between leaders are a standard diplomatic practice aimed at strengthening mutual trust and bonds."

The ministry said events prepared by a counterpart leader as a gesture of goodwill and hospitality should be understood and assessed in their diplomatic context.

Regarding the Lumière Summit in France, the ministry said Lee attended as co-chair of an international conference on the future of the film and video industry at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron, presiding over the meeting. The ministry said this reflected the international standing of South Korea's cultural industry and was fundamentally different in nature from simply attending a cultural event.

The ministry also said Lee's meetings with local K-pop fans and encouragement of Korean artists in Mexico were public diplomacy activities aimed at promoting mutual understanding and goodwill between the peoples of the two countries. Direct communication and cultural exchange between a head of state and local citizens, it said, are part of diplomatic activities that contribute to fostering friendly relations between nations.

"We will continue to faithfully explain to the public the key discussions, agreements, follow-up implementation and concrete outcomes of summit diplomacy, and will work to ensure that summit diplomacy is evaluated based on its full context and substantive results," the ministry added.