President Yoon Suk Yeol began his two-day visit to the U.K. by attending a reception for foreign dignitaries hosted by King Charles III on Sunday.
During the event at Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening, Yoon offered his condolences to Charles III on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the presidential office said. The new British monarch, on his part, thanked the Korean leader for visiting the U.K. to offer his sympathies for the loss of of the King's mother, it said.
Many other global leaders and state representatives were also in attendance, including U.S. President Joe Biden, U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Emperor Naruhito.
The top office earlier said Yoon would seek international solidarity for freedom and peace through “natural meetings” with those global leaders.
The attendance at the reception was the first item scheduled on Yoon’s diplomatic itinerary for his seven-day overseas trip to Britain, the U.S. and Canada launched on Sunday.
Traffic conditions in London forced the president to cancel plans originally set for his first day in the U.K., such as visiting the Korean War Memorial and paying respects at Westminster Abbey where the late monarch lies in state.
Yoon is scheduled to attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II set for Monday at the Abbey accompanied by First Lady Kim Keon-hee, before traveling to New York later in the day to attend the United Nations General Assembly and hold summits on the sidelines.