Latest news with #UK-SouthKorea
India.com
10 hours ago
- Business
- India.com
G7 Gaffe: British PM Keir Starmers Awkward Mix-Up With Interpreter Goes Viral
A funny but embarrassing situation played out at the G7 Summit in Canada when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer accidentally greeted South Korea's newly elected President Lee Jae-myung's interpreter as the president. This was a formal meeting arrangement on Wednesday. When Starmer walked up, he shook hands with the front man, realising immediately it was President Lee's translator. He warmly welcomed the actual president standing next to him. The confusion took only seconds but captured the media's attention at the high-profile G7 meeting. Downing Street, though, waved reports of the "handshake faux pas" as hyperbole. Keir Starmer mistakenly shakes hands with a Korean interpreter instead of the President of South Korea (2025) — insane moments in british politics (@PoliticsMoments) June 18, 2025 UK-South Korea Relations Reinforced Though there was a momentary confusion, both the leaders reasserted their intention to deepen UK-South Korea ties. Starmer said, "We share a robust partnership with South Korea, and we aim to take it further." He pointed to proposals to further defense cooperation and push trade deals. President Lee also concurred with the necessity of upgrading the bilateral trade agreement. The meeting was a part of the G7 outreach program, to which South Korea had been a special guest. Another Trump Gaffe Moment The handshake blunder was not the only awkward moment Starmer faced during the summit. A day before, when he had a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump, Starmer was forced to retrieve papers that had dropped from Trump's desk. Justifying his action, Starmer said, "With Trump's close security, it was simpler for me to take them myself." In another blunder, Trump inadvertently stated America had reached a trade agreement with the EU when he referred to the UK. Asked if Trump's health was the issue, Starmer refused to say anything. They have provided a tongue-in-cheek, but slightly embarrassing, aside to the G7 Summit, where world leaders are wrestling with serious international challenges.
India Today
13 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Handshake confusion as UK PM Keir Starmer meets South Korean President at G7
An awkward moment unfolded at the G7 summit when UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer appeared to greet a South Korean interpreter instead of the President himself. The confusion occurred at the beginning of a formal meeting with South Korea's newly elected President Lee PM, seemingly unaware that the President had walked in behind him, shook hands with the translator before turning to greet Lee, who assumed office just two weeks incident happened during the opening stages of the G7 summit, held at a mountain resort in Canada. As the leaders prepared for official talks, Starmer also seemed momentarily unsure of where to stand for the customary photographs, leading to a few seconds of further confusion. However, Downing Street dismissed reports of a handshake mix-up as inaccurate. Once the brief disruption passed, Starmer reiterated the UK's intent to build deeper ties with South Korea. 'We have a good strong relationship with South Korea and want to strengthen it even further,' he said, pointing to areas like defence cooperation and enhancing the UK-South Korea free trade agreement. President Lee, who is attending the summit as part of the G7's outreach engagement, agreed with the need to modernise their trade encounter came a day after another moment of awkwardness involving Starmer and former US President Donald Trump. During a separate bilateral meeting, Trump dropped documents related to a proposed transatlantic trade deal, prompting Starmer to crouch and retrieve them. Explaining the moment to reporters later, Starmer said he acted quickly because he feared anyone else approaching Trump might be intercepted by his security weren't many choices with the documents and picking it up,' Starmer said. 'As you probably know, there were quite strict rules about who can get close to the president. I was deeply conscious that it wouldn't have been good for anybody else to step forward.'Meanwhile, Trump made a factual error during his comments, mistakenly claiming the US had signed a trade agreement with the European Union instead of the UK. When asked if concerns should be raised about the former President's health following the incident, Starmer declined to comment, suggesting there was no reason for alarm.
