Netherlands summons Korean ambassador, sparking controversy

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and Dutch King Willem-Alexander, second from left, visit the clean room at ASML’s headquarters at Veldhoven on Tuesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The Dutch government has reportedly summoned the Korean Ambassador to the Netherlands ahead of President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit, sparking controversy.

The ambassador, Choe Hyoung-chan, was summoned after the Dutch government complained that the Korean government made excessive demands, including inquiries about the size of an elevator, ahead of President Yoon's visit, the JoongAng Ilbo reported on Friday.

“Summoning the ambassador of a country before the head of state's visit is highly unusual,” an anonymous diplomat told the JoongAng Ilbo.

The Korean government asked for clearance for more visitors than could feasibly visit the cleanroom of ASML, the Dutch semiconductor equipment manufacturer, according to the JoonAng Ilbo, which cites numerous anonymous sources in the diplomatic community. The cleanroom is reportedly a restricted, classified area.

One source claimed that the Dutch government summoned the Korean ambassador as a final warning after the government's excessive requests did not wane.

The Korean Foreign Ministry acknowledged that Ambassador Choe met with the Dutch government the day before President Yoon's arrival. It stressed, however, that the meeting was merely to iron out details of the state visit.

The ministry added that the Korean and Dutch governments have been working closely together, through various channels, to prepare for President Yoon's trip.

It stressed that Korea's Embassy in the Netherlands, the Dutch royal office and the Dutch foreign ministry have been holding regular meetings regarding the visit for the past six months.

“Especially in countries where there is a royal family, various formalities and coordination requirements in terms of royal traditions and protocol are important,” the Korean Foreign Ministry said in the statement.

“Both countries shared that the state visit, which is the first by a Korean president, has gone smoothly and has been successful,” the Korean ministry said. “The Dutch counterpart conveyed that they highly evaluated our protocol team’s expertise and precision.”

President Yoon returned from his five-day visit to the Netherlands on Friday.

He is the first Korean president to make a state visit to the Netherlands since the two countries forged a diplomatic relationship 62 years ago.

During his visit, both countries declared the establishment of a chip alliance including a 1 trillion won ($760 million) investment by ASML and Samsung Electronics in the establishment a research center in Korea.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]