Yoon returns home after attending NATO summit in Spain

All News 11:31 July 01, 2022

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk-yeol returned home from Spain on Friday after attending the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit and holding a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines on his first overseas trip as president.

During his four-day visit to Madrid, Yoon took part in a total of 16 diplomatic events -- 10 bilateral summits, three multilateral summits, meetings with King Felipe VI of Spain and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, and a luncheon meeting with Spanish businesspeople -- according to his office.

He was accompanied by first lady Kim Keon-hee, who took part in a cultural program for the spouses of leaders attending the NATO summit and also made individual trips.

Highlights of the trip included Yoon's speech to NATO, a trilateral summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and a gala dinner hosted by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain at the Royal Palace of Madrid.

Yoon was the first South Korean president to attend a NATO summit, as the country is not a member of the military alliance and was invited as an Asia-Pacific partner nation, along with Japan, Australia and New Zealand.