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| ▲ Lee Jae-myung (L), leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, talks with Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming during their meeting at the envoy's residence in Seoul on June 8, 2023. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ President Yoon Suk Yeol bangs the gavel to open a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul on June 13, 2023, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) presidential office-China
(LEAD) S. Korea waiting for 'appropriate measure' from China over ambassador's remarks
(ATTN: UPDATES with more remarks by presidential official, Yoon's remarks; ADDS photo)
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, June 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is waiting for China to take an "appropriate measure" following controversial remarks made by its ambassador in Seoul over South Korea's ties with the United States, a presidential official said Tuesday.
Tensions have flared between Seoul and Beijing after China's Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming said in a meeting with main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung that those who "bet on China's loss" in its rivalry with the United States "will definitely regret it."
The remarks were interpreted as a warning to Seoul against aligning itself with Washington.
"From our point of view, there was something that ran contrary" to diplomatic protocols, the presidential official told reporters.
"We're waiting for the Chinese side to carefully consider this problem and to take the appropriate measure regarding this," he said.
The official said Xing's remarks were problematic in two regards -- his logic for explaining the current South Korea-China trade relationship and Seoul's policy on China was not in line with the facts, and the way in which he aired his grievances was not befitting of a top diplomat.
"South Korea repeatedly expressed its position that it will build a healthy South Korea-China relationship based on the principle of mutual respect and reciprocity with China, while simultaneously cooperating with liberal democratic nations and allies based on the spirit of the Constitution," he said.
Xing, however, made "distorted remarks implying that such a policy of the Republic of Korea is biased and excludes a certain country," he added, referring to South Korea by its formal name.
The official went on to say that as the top diplomat in South Korea, Xing has a duty to resolve problematic issues in private and publicly display friendly relations between the two countries in keeping with the Vienna Convention.
President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed his own displeasure with Xing's remarks during a Cabinet meeting earlier Tuesday, according to multiple people who attended the meeting.
"Judging from Ambassador Xing Haiming's attitude, it's (questionable) whether he has the attitude of mutual respect or promoting friendship as a diplomat," he was quoted as saying. "Our people are offended by Ambassador Xing's inappropriate behavior."
On Monday, the presidential office showed its first official reaction to Xing's remarks.
In reference to Xing, a presidential official told reporters that "if the bridging role is not appropriate, it could harm the national interests of both the home and host countries."
The foreign ministry, meanwhile, summoned Xing last Friday to lodge a complaint over his remarks, while Beijing's foreign ministry later called in South Korean Ambassador Chung Jae-ho to express its own complaint.
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