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| ▲ This file photo shows South Korea's foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk at a regular press briefing in Seoul on May 8, 2023. (Yonhap) |
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Foreign ministry denounces Chinese envoy for criticizing S. Korean policy with 'inaccurate information'
SEOUL/BEIJING, June 13 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry said Tuesday the Chinese ambassador to Seoul intentionally criticized South Korea's policy with "inaccurate information" amid growing diplomatic tensions over recent inflammatory remarks by the envoy.
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 last week that those who "bet on China's loss" in its rivalry with the United States "will definitely regret it."
A South Korean presidential official told reporters earlier in the day that Seoul was waiting for Beijing to take an "appropriate measure," apparently pressuring China to take measures to recall its envoy.
Lim Soo-suk, spokesperson for Seoul's foreign ministry, told a regular press briefing that the problem with Xing's remarks "lies in intentionally criticizing our government's policy with inaccurate information."
He also stressed the remarks were made amid clear expectation that they will be made public in the media. Lim noted the government did not take issue with Xing meeting with a local politician.
The Chinese foreign ministry, meanwhile, expressed "regret" over Seoul's position on Xing and recent news reports from South Korean media alleging the ambassador of receiving free accommodation at a luxury resort from a domestic company.
Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the ministry, told a regular press briefing it was Xing's duty "to engage and interact with various figures from different circles" in South Korea.
He stressed that the purpose of Xing's activities in South Korea was to "enhance understanding, promote cooperation, and sustain and advance the relationship," and added the envoy's activities should not be sensationalized.
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