SEOUL — South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol boycotted the formal opening of his country's parliament on Monday as his squabbles with the opposition deepen over allegations of wrongdoing by top officials and his wife.
It's a tradition for South Korean presidents to deliver a speech at opening ceremonies for National Assembly sessions, and Yoon is the first to skip the event since the East Asian country's transition from a military dictatorship to democracy in the late 1980s.
NOTABLE ABSENCE South Korea’s lawmakers salute their national flag during the opening ceremony of the 22nd National Assembly in the capital Seoul on Sept. 2, 2024. AP PHOTO