South Korean president skips in-person meeting with Pelosi, causing controversy

SEOUL, South Korea – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrapped up her two-day visit to Seoul on Thursday, but her non-in-person meeting with the president has led to controversy among South Koreans.

Pelosi is the first sitting speaker to visit South Korea since Dennis Hastert visited Seoul in 2002. She met her counterpart, Kim Jin-pyo, the speaker of the National Assembly, and agreed to support both governments’ efforts to achieve denuclearization and peace on the peninsula under strong deterrence against North Korea.

However, public criticism has soared over South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol — who skipped an in-person meeting with Pelosi due to his being on his summer vacation in his nation’s capital, Seoul.

Despite her official visit to…