Korean president postpones Obama meeting

The MERS outbreak in South Korea has forced a change in President Obama's schedule.

South Korean President Park ­Geun-hye has postponed a trip to the United States to deal with the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), including a planned meeting Tuesday with Obama in the Oval Office.

"The people's safety is the top priority," Park's spokesman told reporters.

The Obama-Park meeting will be re-scheduled for a later time.

In the meantime, the South Korean president is taking some heat over her handling of the MERS problem, reports The Washington Post:

"Park's decision comes amid vociferous criticism of her government's handling of the outbreak. The government also faced fire for its response to the Sewol ferry disaster. Park was further chastised for embarking on a trip to South America on the first anniversary of the disaster.

"But some critics questioned the message she was sending by staying home. She had previously told people not to 'overreact' and said that everyone should 'cooperate to ensure that economic activities will not be weakened.'"

"A Realmeter poll published shortly before the announcement found that 53 percent thought Park should delay the trip, while 39 percent said she should continue with it."