The APEC Summit in Gyeongju, South Korea is scheduled to take place from October 31st to November 2nd. According to reports, the Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, who had planned to stay at the Hotel Shilla in Seoul during his visit to South Korea, had his reservation canceled unilaterally by the hotel to meet China’s requirements. This decision led to the cancellation of 8 weddings, sparking discontent among local residents, and subsequently forcing the Chinese Communist Party to cancel their booking at the hotel.
The Chinese Embassy in South Korea, in preparation for Xi Jinping’s visit, had considered booking the entire building of the Hotel Shilla for the Chinese delegation during the APEC Summit, but this reservation was canceled on September 27th.
Reports from various South Korean media outlets such as the “Chosun Ilbo” and “JoongAng Ilbo” indicate that the Hotel Shilla unilaterally canceled 8 weddings, affecting hundreds of guests, to accommodate the Chinese demands. The hotel previously stated that they would host a “national-level” event at the beginning of November and therefore had to cancel the previously booked wedding banquets. The specific details of the national-level event were not disclosed by the hotel, but it is speculated that it was related to Xi Jinping’s potential stay at the hotel.
This incident has ignited public outrage in South Korea, with criticism directed at President Lee Jae-myung for being “pro-China.” Reports from the “Chosun Ilbo” revealed that the cancellation of wedding reservations with less than 2 months left until the weddings caused distress among the couples as invitations had already been sent out, and finding an alternative venue became urgent.
On September 22nd, South Korean “People Power” lawmaker Chu Jin-yoo criticized the incident on Facebook, stating that the government pressuring a hotel to cancel weddings reserved by customers a year in advance was something that cannot happen in a free democratic country.
Lawmaker Seong Il-jong of “People Power” also expressed dismay, mentioning that guests who had planned to hold weddings at the Hotel Shilla during the APEC Summit had their events abruptly canceled due to the Chinese government’s reservation, wasting the time of the young couples and causing significant losses for South Korea.
He further noted that this incident raised doubts among people about whether China would attend the Gyeongju APEC Summit.
Amid escalating protests from the South Korean public, the Hotel Shilla announced over the weekend that guests could proceed with their wedding plans as originally intended. This move sparked speculations that it might be related to China’s cancellation of Xi Jinping’s hotel reservation during his visit to South Korea, prompting the hotel to change its arrangements.
The JoongAng Ilbo pointed out that the possibility of Xi Jinping making a state visit to South Korea after attending the Gyeongju APEC Summit is unlikely.
Some South Korean media analysts suggest that Xi Jinping may opt not to stay at the Hotel Shilla in Seoul anymore but choose to stay at a local hotel in Gyeongju, such as the Lahan Select Hotel, or directly return to Beijing after the APEC Summit to simplify security and travel arrangements.
On September 30th, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that discussions with China regarding Xi Jinping’s schedule during the Gyeongju APEC Summit were ongoing, and specific details have not been confirmed yet.
Sources mentioned, “Xi Jinping’s visit to South Korea is almost confirmed, and the atmosphere is not to the extent that the cancellation of the hotel reservation is a factor.” The source explained that canceling the Hotel Shilla reservation was not the main factor affecting Xi Jinping’s visit to South Korea.
The forced cancellation of Xi Jinping’s hotel reservation is a rare occurrence in the history of Chinese-Korean diplomacy. Previous visits of Chinese leaders to South Korea have often been met with protests and resistance from the South Korean public, but the Hotel Shilla has always been the preferred accommodation for Chinese leaders.
It is worth noting that since last year, there have been large-scale protests by South Korean citizens against the current government’s excessive pro-China stance, with protesters tearing down portraits of Xi Jinping and the Chinese national flag.
Xi Jinping’s overseas visits are subject to stringent security measures, including in Hong Kong. On July 1, 2022, during Xi Jinping’s two-day visit to Hong Kong, he did not stay overnight in the city, traveling in a bulletproof car brought from the mainland. In November 2018, during Xi Jinping’s visit to Papua New Guinea, two domestically produced bulletproof cars were flown in from China. In December 2018, during Xi Jinping’s two-day visit to Portugal, around two million euros were spent to reserve all rooms at the Ritz Hotel, and the hotel garage doors were widened to accommodate the bulletproof cars brought by Xi Jinping.
There have been sources indicating concerns to the Epoch Times that Xi Jinping is very worried that ancient Chinese prophecies predicting palace coups and assassinations may happen to him, forecasting his death while in office.