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| ▲ Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (C) attends a ceremony honoring the veterans of the Korean War in Seoul on June 12, 2023. (Yonhap) |
Seoul mayor-Chinese envoy
Seoul mayor condemns Chinese ambassador over 'diplomatic discourtesy'
SEOUL, June 12 (Yonhap) -- Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Monday denounced the Chinese ambassador to South Korea for "an unbelievable diplomatic discourtesy" referring to his recent remarks that warned Seoul against betting against China.
Ambassador Xing Haiming said during a meeting with opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on Thursday that it is a wrong bet to believe that China will lose in the rivalry with the United States and that "those betting on China's defeat will certainly regret it later."
"Ambassador Xing committed an unbelievable diplomatic discourtesy," Oh wrote in a Facebook post, accusing the envoy of "insulting and intimidating the South Korean people," especially following the June 6 Memorial Day, a time when the nation pays tribute to its patriots and war heroes.
"Now that our foreign ministry has summoned Ambassador Xing to lodge a protest and the Chinese government has also summoned the South Korean ambassador to express its protest, we should refrain from further displaying disrespect," he added.
He also criticized Lee, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party, for remaining silent during the talks with the ambassador.
Oh also addressed the issue earlier in the day during a ceremony honoring the veterans of the Korean War, which commenced on June 25, 1950.
In reference to Chinese troops' involvement in the 1950-53 war in support of North Korea, he said, "(the ambassador) should have exercised restraint and avoided making disrespectful remarks, especially at the start of this month of remembering the patriots."
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