South Korean president abandons Olympics after ‘inappropriate’ comments

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South Korean President Moon Jae-in canceled plans to attend the Summer Olympics in Tokyo and meet Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, his office said Monday — after a senior Japanese diplomat said the leader was “masturbating” if he thought he would attend a summit with Suga. .

The two countries held talks about holding a high-level meeting during the Games to improve relations, which deteriorated to their worst levels in years due to historical differences.

But things got worse after it was reported that a Japanese diplomat at the embassy in Seoul likened the efforts of the South Korean president to self-satisfaction.

“President Moon masturbates to himself,” Soma told a reporter at a South Korean news station on Friday, according to the UK Times.

“Japan does not have time to care as much about the relationship between the two countries as South Korea thinks.”

The Japanese ambassador reprimanded his deputy, Hirohiza Soma, for his “extremely inappropriate” comments, but a Blue House official on Monday said the comment was “hard to bear”.

The Blue House said that although Seoul and Tokyo had “meaningful discussions” on historical issues, progress was deemed “insufficient.”

In Tokyo, Suga expressed “regret” over the comments, telling reporters, “It’s a very inappropriate statement.”

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (pictured) have canceled plans to attend the Tokyo Summer Olympics and meet.

“Regardless, we want to firmly communicate with the South Korean side… to bring Japan-South Korea relations back to a sound place,” he added.

Kyodo News, citing an unnamed government source, reported that Tokyo plans to “remove” Soma from his post due to his controversial statements.

Relations between Japan and South Korea, both major allies of the United States, were strained by persistent disputes over reparations for Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula in the early 20th century.

Hwang Hee, Seoul’s sports and culture minister, will lead the South Korean delegation to the Olympics, which kicks off Friday.

A general view of Fukushima Azuma Stadium before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Getty Images

with wire

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