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South Korea says won’t join diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics
- Citing the need to work with China on denuclearisation of North Korea, President Moon Jae-in said Seoul was ‘not considering’ snubbing the event
- Moon is currently on a three-day state visit to Australia, where the two countries signed a series of technology and defence deals
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South Korea’s president on Monday ruled out joining a US diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in February, citing the need to work with China.
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While in Canberra to meet with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Moon Jae-in said he was “not considering” snubbing the Olympics to protest China’s human rights abuses as several Western nations have done.
“We have not received a request from any other country including the United States to participate in the diplomatic boycott,” he said.
“Clearly, our relations with China have some conflicting and competing aspects,” Moon told reporters after a summit with Morrison.
Moon stressed that South Korea wanted to promote a free and open Pacific region, but also had to consider China’s role in trying to bring peace to the Korean peninsula.
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“We need the constructive efforts of China to enable denuclearisation of DPRK (North Korea)” he said, adding that Seoul wanted a harmonious relationship with Beijing.
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