TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A last-minute meeting cancellation by Minister Without Portfolio Lin Ming-hsin’s (林明昕) delegation has sparked diplomatic controversy between Taiwan and South Korea, after conflicting accounts emerged over the nature of the cancellation and its reception.
Lin was scheduled to meet with South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission Chair Park Sun-young in Seoul at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, per Tai Sounds. However, Lin’s office said the meeting was called off due to scheduling issues, and that the commission had expressed understanding in a reply received Friday.
Park contradicted that account in a Facebook post on Monday, criticizing Taiwan’s delegation for the abrupt cancellation and calling their explanation “hard to accept.” Park also emphasized that the delegation's lack of diplomatic courtesy was more disappointing than the monetary loss incurred, per ETtoday.
According to The Hankyoreh, members of Lin’s delegation met instead with South Korean history scholars and labor union representatives at a nearby hotel conference room at 11 a.m., raising questions about whether the group deliberately avoided direct contact with the South Korean government.
Park wrote that the rudeness of the Taiwanese delegation was more difficult to endure than any financial or logistical inconvenience. She acknowledged having mixed feelings about Taiwan due to South Korea’s diplomatic break with Taipei in 1992, but said Lin’s delegation “swept away” any residual goodwill.
Lin’s office responded that his schedule was affected by his need to prepare for a speech at the APEC Women and the Economy Forum’s (WEF) high-level policy dialogue in Incheon on Tuesday. They stated Lin needed to closely follow the discussion around the 2025 WEF declaration, which began on Friday at 10 a.m., and resumed his official itinerary at 11:30 a.m.
The office also blamed limited resources and staffing caused by recent opposition-led cuts to the 2025 budget, saying the delegation was tasked with both participating in APEC discussions and observing South Korea’s transitional justice efforts.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) responded to the controversy by calling for efforts to resolve the misunderstanding through diplomatic channels, per NOWnews. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) urged Lin to offer a sincere apology to Park via a phone call, noting that while the incident may not be severe, it warranted proper acknowledgment, per ETtoday.
Taiwan People’s Party Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) was more critical, arguing that the diplomatic misstep harmed Taiwan’s international image and could negatively impact future diplomatic opportunities, per Storm Media.
Kuomintang Legislator Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄) echoed the criticism, saying Lin’s justification was unconvincing, especially since South Korea is the host nation for APEC, per UDN. She argued that Park’s Facebook post, not the commission’s earlier message, accurately reflected the level of dissatisfaction.
Hsu called on Cho to investigate who canceled the meeting and who authorized the explanation. She suggested the commission’s letter of understanding was a diplomatic formality, while Park’s post revealed the true damage done by the delegation.
