By Lee Kap-soo 

Polish President Andrzej Duda, who was scheduled to visit Korea on Aug. 9, canceled his visit to Korea, a diplomatic source said on Aug. 8.

The diplomatic source said, "I know there is a change in the situation at home and abroad. President Duda's attendance at the closing ceremony of the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree and meetings with major domestic figures and defense entrepreneurs were all canceled."

President Duda's cancellation of his visit to Korea also seems to have affected by South Korea's disruption to Jamboree and Typhoon Kanun's penetration into the Korean Peninsula. It is reported that President Duda originally planned to visit Gwangju Metropolitan City and attend the World Scout Jamboree competition from Aug. 11 to 12.

Poland was scheduled to host the next World Jamboree in 2027 in the port city of Gdansk, so President Duda planned to visit the Saemangeum Jamboree venue as the next host country's leader.

The source added, "Tension between the two countries over the violation of Polish airspace by Belarusian military helicopters, the presence of a group of Russian mercenaries, Wagner, and the deepening confrontation have affected."

In addition, President Duda was scheduled to visit the industrial site in person with defense businessmen supplying weapons to Poland during his visit to Korea, but it is said that the region was all directly affected by Typhoon Kanun and canceled his visit to Korea.

Meanwhile, President Duda held a summit with President Yoon Suk-yeol, who officially visited Poland on July 13 local time.