Foreign minister says he plans to return to parliament at end of year

South Korea's top diplomat said Friday he plans to return to the National Assembly as a lawmaker if a Cabinet reshuffle takes place by the year's end ahead of the general elections next year.

Foreign Minister Park Jin, who holds a parliamentary seat for the ruling People Power Party, made the remarks in an interview with news channel YTN amid reports that he will run for parliament in the April general elections.

"Although I am cautious, I plan to do my best so that the People Power Party becomes a trusted ruling party based on the people's will by returning to my original place at the National Assembly if a Cabinet reshuffle takes place at the end of the year," he said.

Park, a four-term lawmaker, did not directly respond to whether he will run for a parliamentary seat next year but said the Yoon Suk Yeol government's success is "what's most important."

He also brushed off a local media report on the Netherlands' calling in South Korea's ambassador prior to Yoon's state visit to the country this week over "excessive demands" for presidential protocol.

"I think there is an exaggerated side (to the report)," he said, adding that many consultations take place prior to state visits when there is a difference in view between two sides.

As for the country's key diplomatic accomplishments this year, Park noted the improvement in relations with Japan, the strengthening of the alliance with the United States and the institutionalization of trilateral cooperation with Washington and Tokyo.

South Korea-Japan relations improved significantly after Seoul decided in March to compensate Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labor without asking for contributions from the Japanese companies involved.

In August, Yoon, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida adopted a joint statement at their Camp David summit that outlined cooperation efforts, such as holding three-way talks among the leaders, foreign ministers, defense ministers and national security advisers at least annually. (Yonhap)