Seoul denies Netherlands summoned ambassador over Yoon's ASML visit

President Yoon Suk Yeol (right) walks out of the Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, as he returned from his state visit to the Netherlands on Friday. (Yonhap)

South Korea's Foreign Ministry denied a media report on Friday that the government of the Netherlands had summoned its ambassador to voice concerns about Seoul's demands regarding a presidential visit to the headquarters of the semiconductor printing machine supplier ASML.

The Joongang Ilbo newspaper reported that the South Korean Ambassador to the Netherlands Choe Hyoung-chan had been summoned to hear concerns over Seoul's "various demands" related to President Yoon Suk Yeol's visit to the headquarters of the Dutch semiconductor printing machine supplier ASML.

Yoon's office had reportedly asked its Dutch counterpart to give more people access to ASML's manufacturing facility than suggested by the Dutch side. It also reportedly asked for information regarding ASML headquarters' indoor facility, citing security reasons.

Seoul admitted that Choe had met Dutch government representatives weeks before President Yoon made a state visit to the European country, but denied that the ambassador was summoned. The ministry said the meeting took place as "a form of communication" that routinely occurs when the two countries arrange programs together for a presidential trip.

"The coordination between South Korean Ambassador to the Netherlands Choe and the Dutch government was a form of communication preceding the imminent state visit, aimed at promptly arranging schedules and establishing the presidential protocol," the statement read.

"Discrepancies over the details of the presidential protocol have been nothing new, and we have conventionally had a series of discussions to reach common ground."

In its statement, the Foreign Ministry revealed Dutch Chief of Protocol Dominique Kuhling's message to the presidential office, which said it "was truly a pleasure working with" Yoon's office in charge of protocol.

Yoon returned to Seoul on Friday morning, after a five-day state visit to the Netherlands from Monday.

Through 2023, Yoon made 13 overseas trips to 15 countries. Among them were five state visits including the latest one in the Netherlands.

The president's diplomatic drive stemmed from his efforts to restore security links in the Indo-Pacific region, especially with the United States and Japan. Also, Yoon sought to support Busan's bid to host the World Expo in 2030, which ended in its loss to Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh.

Rep. Park Hong-keun of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, revealed in October that the presidential office had increased the 2023 budget for diplomatic engagement to 57.8 billion won ($44.7 million), more than double that in the initial plan approved by the Assembly in 2022.

By Son Ji-hyoung(consnow@heraldcorp.com)