SEOUL-- President Yoon Suk-yeol has postponed receiving a policy briefing from the education ministry in order to take care of public safety and COVID-19 issues before he goes on vacation next week, officials said Thursday.

The policy briefing from Education Minister Park Soon-ae had initially been scheduled for Friday as part of the first set of reports the president has been receiving from ministries following his inauguration in May.

"The education ministry's policy report has been postponed until after the president returns from his vacation next week," a presidential official told reporters.

The presidential office later said in a notice to the press that Yoon plans to visit a police station on Friday to check public safety conditions and also monitor the situation with the resurgence of COVID-19.

"These programs were arranged as an advance inspection so that the people can have a safe and healthy vacation season," it said.

This is the third time Yoon has postponed a scheduled policy briefing, after those of the gender ministry and the unification ministry.

The decision led to speculation Yoon was trying to avoid his daily Q&A sessions with the press, which take place as he arrives at his office every morning, by scheduling in events that take place externally. All policy briefings are held at his office.

Yoon has not had a Q&A session since his text conversation with acting ruling People Power Party leader Kweon Seong-dong was caught on press cameras Tuesday, exposing his criticism of the party's suspended chairman, Lee Jun-seok.

"These are all things that the president has to urgently take care of before he leaves for vacation, and the programs were arranged because he has special instructions regarding both COVID-19 and public safety," the presidential official said.

Source: Yonhap News Agency