Park Sun-young, Chairperson of South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, posted on social media, reprimanding the Taiwan delegation led by Executive Yuan Minister Lin Ming-hsin for the last-minute cancellation of a meeting, calling it a diplomatic discourtesy. Lin Ming-hsin’s office released a statement saying they have apologized to the commission.
On the 11th, Park Sun-young posted on Facebook, saying that special floral decorations inspired by the "Republic of China national flag" had been specially prepared along with premium refreshments and gifts for exchange, criticizing the Taiwan delegation for "unilaterally canceling the meeting the night before the meeting scheduled for the 8th and offering an unacceptable excuse, which is a diplomatic discourtesy."
Park Sun-young also mentioned the 1992 diplomatic break between South Korea and the "Republic of China,” followed by establishing formal ties with the People’s Republic of China, saying she had put herself in Taiwan’s shoes to imagine its humiliation at the time. However, her previously complex feelings toward Taiwan "instantly collapsed." She wrote, "From now on, Taiwan will remain in my mind with an image of arrogance and rudeness."
According to the Hankyoreh, Taiwan's Executive Yuan Minister Lin Ming-hsin, Director of Human Rights and Transitional Justice Lai Chun-chao, and others were scheduled to meet with representatives of South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission at 9:30 a.m. on the 8th. However, the Taiwan delegation canceled the meeting the night before, citing APEC-related scheduling conflicts as the reason.
According to Taiwan’s United Daily News and Liberty Times, Lin Ming-hsin’s office released a statement on the 12th, saying that Lin Ming-hsin is currently in Incheon, South Korea for meetings related to the APEC Women and the Economy Forum (WEF). Because of an unexpected urgent APEC matter that arose at 9:00 a.m. on the 8th requiring immediate attention, Lin was unable to attend the 9:30 a.m. exchange meeting. The meeting organizers were notified the previous evening, and apologies and requests for understanding were expressed.
The statement said that the meeting organizers replied by letter to express their understanding, and ongoing contact and hopes for future exchanges were established. Lin Ming-hsin had already apologized to the commission for canceling the meeting, and the commission also expressed understanding by letter, but the chairperson took a drastically different stance on social media days later, to the Taiwanese side’s surprise.