South Korean media: The Trump administration is considering closing the Busan Consulate... Involving 27 overseas offices

CNN reports on an internal document of the US Department of State

It has been reported that the Donald Trump administration in the United States is considering closing a total of 27 American embassies and consulates, including the Busan Consulate, in various countries around the world.

On the 15th, according to CNN, an internal document from the U.S. Department of State was obtained, suggesting the closure of 10 embassies and 17 consulates.

The embassies proposed for closure are Malta, Luxembourg, Lesotho, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan, etc., mostly located in Europe and Africa. After the closure, the business of these embassies will be handled by nearby embassies.

The consulates proposed for closure include Busan in South Korea, five in France, two in Germany, two in Bosnia and Herzegovina, one in the UK, and one in South Africa.

If the U.S. consulate in Busan is closed according to the suggestions in the internal document of the Department of State, its business may be transferred to the embassy in Seoul.

In addition to suggesting the closure of embassies and consulates, the document also suggests reducing the scale of diplomatic missions in Iraq and Somalia. It is understood that this proposal to close diplomatic missions was primarily formulated by Jose Cunningham, Assistant Secretary of State responsible for operations at the Department of State. The basis for deciding to close these missions includes opinions from the host country and relevant institutions, the volume of consular affairs, costs of direct American employees, facility conditions, and security levels.

The push to close diplomatic missions is seen as part of the Trump administration's policy to implement a smaller government approach. Under the leadership of Elon Musk's Office of Government Efficiency (DOGE), this consolidation plan is being discussed as one of several policies aimed at significantly cutting the federal budget.

However, it remains unconfirmed whether U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has approved the proposal to advance the closure of diplomatic missions.

It is understood that the South Korean government is confirming the facts of this matter through diplomatic channels and responding accordingly.

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1829545253469194/

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