President Lee Jae-myung canceled a luncheon with firefighters scheduled for Wednesday due to fatigue.

The presidential office announced in a press release on Wednesday that presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik would attend the luncheon on behalf of the president.

The cancellation appears to be related to fatigue accumulated after the president's recent back-to-back diplomatic schedule, which included a trip to Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering in Gyeongju last week.

A presidential aide explained that the cancellation was due to fatigue from a cold.

During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Lee mentioned he had a cold and asked for understanding for his hoarse voice.