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| President Yoon Suk Yeol, center in the second row, and first lady Kim Keon Hee, to Yoon's right, pose for a group photo with the Akh unit in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 15. Yonhap |
The office of President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday there appeared to have been a "misunderstanding" behind Iran's protest over the president's earlier remark on the country's relations with the United Arab Emirates.
Yoon told South Korean troops of the Akh unit in the UAE earlier this week that the UAE's "enemy and biggest threat is Iran," leading Tehran to lodge a protest through its ambassador to Seoul.
"I think there was a slight misunderstanding on Iran's part," a presidential official told reporters in Zurich while accompanying Yoon on a visit to Switzerland.
The official reiterated that Yoon's remark to the troops was encouragement to work hard while squarely acknowledging the security situation faced by the UAE, with no relation to South Korea's ties with Iran.
"Because of the misunderstanding, the focus is being blurred," the official added, referring to a series of issues Iran has complained about, including the frozen Iranian assets in Seoul and Yoon's remarks on nuclear armament.
"So it's been proven paradoxically that it was a misunderstanding, which is why we also called in the Iranian ambassador to Seoul and clearly explained our position," the official continued. "If we can resolve the misunderstanding by doing so, I believe we'll be able to swiftly normalize the situation." (Yonhap)
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