“Another Diplomatic Disaster” Democratic Party Attacks President Yoon’s Comment, “Iran is the Enemy of the UAE”

President Yoon Suk-yeol, currently making a state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), visits the Akh Unit and encourage the troops deployed to the Middle East on January 15 (local time). Yonhap News

President Yoon Suk-yeol stirred controversy by referring to Iran as the enemy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during his trip to the UAE on January 15 (local time). The Democratic Party of Korea criticized, “It was a risky comment that could fuel tensions with Iran,” and attacked it as a “diplomatic disaster.”

President Yoon met with the troops of the Korean Akh Unit deployed in the UAE on Sunday and said, “The security of our sister country is our own security,” and claimed, “The enemy of the UAE, its greatest threat is Iran, and our enemy is North Korea.” He made the comment when he emphasized the UAE as our sister country to encourage our troops.

The president’s remark triggered a stream of criticism from the opposition party. Kim Hyun-jung, a spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, released a written briefing on January 16 and said, “It could give a negative impression that our country regards Iran as a military threat,” and called the expression as a diplomatic slip of the tongue that could harm our national interest. He also said, “It was a dangerous comment that could put our Akh Unit in the UAE in danger by fueling tensions with Iran.”

The Democratic Party spokesperson mentioned how Iran was a friendly partner with which we formed a comprehensive partnership in 2016 after first establishing ties during the construction boom in the Middle East in the 1970s and called President Yoon “pathetic” for forming more enemies when the purpose of diplomacy was to reduce the number of enemies. He further criticized, “The president must stop causing diplomatic disasters that sabotage our national interest and put our people in danger.”

A committee for responses to the diplomatic problems and lies of the Yoon Suk-yeol government inside the Democratic Party also released a statement on Monday and said, “President Yoon, who embarked on his first overseas trip this year, once again revealed his ‘overseas trip risk’ by making a comment that was diplomatically very inappropriate.” They further criticized, “It was a highly dangerous comment that could be understood as us thinking of Iran as the enemy of the Republic of Korea.”

They also said, “President Yoon caused people concern whenever he went on an overseas trip, undermining the status of the Republic of Korea, as he did with the foul language controversy during his trip to the U.S.” “The first overseas trip of the new year was no exception. We hope we no longer hear the evaluation of the Yoon Suk-yeol government’s diplomacy as humiliating or incompetent,” they added.

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Tae-nyeon asked on Facebook, “If the enemy of the Akh Unit is Iran, then does that mean the enemy of Iran is the Republic of Korea?” and continued, “What will become of the fate of our soldiers deployed in the Middle East? Is he suggesting we go to war with Iran?”