Yoon sends right-hand-man to UAE for condolence trip

Rep. Chang Je-won. [KIM SANG-SEON]

President Yoon Suk-yeol is dispatching a delegation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to offer condolences over the death of President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the presidential office announced Sunday.

The delegation will be led by People Power Party lawmaker Rep. Chang Je-won, who served as Yoon’s chief of staff during the transition. Chang will be the first special envoy sent by Yoon after taking office.

According to the presidential office, the delegation will include the Korean ambassador to the UAE and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The delegation will meet with the new UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the family of Sheikh Khalifa to deliver condolences from Yoon and the Korean people.

On Saturday, Yoon sent personal condolences to the family of Sheikh Khalifa and the people of the UAE, the presidential office announced.

Sheikh Khalifa, the son of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the UAE, was crowned ruler of Abu Dhabi and became president of the UAE in 2004. He passed away on Friday at the age of 73.

The UAE is considered a key country in the Middle East because of its “special strategic partnership” with Korea. Sending Chang, a person close to the president, as head of the delegation reflects the importance of the relationship. Former President Moon Jae-in sent Im Jong-seok, his chief of staff at the time, as special envoy to the UAE in December 2017.

“The leader of the delegation is supposed to be the president himself, but as he can’t go, he is sending one of his closest aides,” a spokesperson from the presidential office told reporters Sunday. “Rep. Chang has worked with the president for a long time and he knows the president well, so he is being sent to head the delegation.”

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]