Seoul's foreign ministry summons Iran envoy over Yoon's remarks of 'enemy'

▲ Embassy of Islamic Republic of Iran 출처 : 산경투데이(https://www.sankyungtoday.com)

 

By Steve Yoon

 

South Korea on Thursday called in Iran's ambassador to Seoul to explain President Yoon Suk Yeol's recent public remarks describing the Islamic republic as the enemy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

 

Yoon said South Korea and the UAE are under "very similar" circumstances, each facing North Korea and Iran as "the enemy, biggest threat" during a meeting with South Korean troops stationed in the Abu Dhabi earlier this week. South Korea's foreign ministry has stressed his comments were "irrelevant" to Seoul's relations with Iran and urged against "unnecessary overinterpretation."

 

South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong called in Saeed Badamchi Shabestari, the Iranian ambassador to Seoul, and reiterated the ministry’s previous assertion that the president’s designation of Iran as the UAE’s “enemy” was simply an attempt to encourage the South Korean troops stationed there and is irrelevant to the bilateral relations between Seoul and Tehran.

 

Before this, Tehran summoned South Korean ambassador Yun Kang-hyeon on Wednesday in connection with the matter. Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal affairs, Reza Najafi, was reported to say that Iran has "deep-rooted and friendly relations" with most neighbours. He described Yoon's comment as "interfering", adding that Yoon was "undermining peace and stability in the region." 

 

Cho and Shabestari reportedly discussed bilateral relations in the meeting that lasted about an hour. The Iranian ambassador said he would relay the explanation by Cho back to his government. 


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Seoul′s foreign ministry summons Iran envoy over Yoon′s remarks of ′enemy′ (sankyungtoday.com)

Seoul′s foreign ministry summons Iran envoy over Yoon′s remarks of ′enemy′