South Korean President attends Queen Elizabeth’s Funeral

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President of South Korea attends the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth
President of South Korea attends the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth

London, 19 September 2022 (TDI): The President of South Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol is attending Queen Elizabeth II’s Funeral on Monday.

The funeral is taking place at Westminster Abbey in London. The President was accompanied by first lady Kim Keon-hee during his visit.

About 2000 foreign dignitaries, heads of state, and royalties from different countries are attending the funeral. This includes the President of the United States (US), Joe Biden, and the Emperor of Japan among others.

The President of South Korea expressed his condolences previously on the passing of the longest-reigning British monarch. He also visited the British Embassy in South Korea and signed the condolence books to express his sympathies.

Correspondingly, on 11 September it was earlier announced that South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will attend the funeral of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth.

President travels to London

On Sunday, the President of South Korea left for London to attend the Queen’s funeral. This is the second overseas trip held by President Yoon since taking office.

Accordingly, the President also visited a Korean War memorial to honor the 56,000 British troops that fought alongside South Korea during the 1950-53 conflict.

Also Read: Queen Elizabeth dies at 96; officials send messages

Thereon, the President attended a reception hosted by King Charles III. He took the opportunity to express his condolences over the monarch’s death.

Correspondingly, the British monarch Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest on Monday beside her late husband, Prine Philips.

She died on the 8th of September 2022 and her last rituals took place on Monday after a 10-day long period of mourning.

Future Plans

After attending the Queen’s funeral, the President of South Korea will continue his three-nation trip. After the United Kingdom, President Yoon will depart for New York. During his seven-day trip, the President will engage in a series of high-profile diplomatic events.

Firstly, he will address the General Debate of the 77th UN General Assembly on Tuesday. With this, the President will make his debut on the UN stage with a speech outlining his vision for increasing solidarity among freedom-loving nations.

Additionally, the President will also indulge in the first-ever summit with the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, and a separate meeting with US President, Joe Biden.

Also Read: President of South Korea to visit Canada

President Yoon will also hold separate meetings with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Korean residents.

Afterward, the President of South Korea will visit Canada. Canada is of utmost importance to South Korea as it sent 27,000 troops to fight alongside South Korea in the Korean War. Both countries also share the values of human rights and liberal democracy.

The President will then travel to Toronto as well as Ottowa, cities of Canada. He will also hold a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.