New Zealand Diplomat Accused of Sexual Harassment Returns from the Philippines... 14 Days After Reassignment

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Diplomat A, who is accused of sexually harassing a New Zealand national male employee while working at the New Zealand Embassy, returned to Korea 14 days after being ordered to return.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 18th, diplomat A, who was working in the Philippines, arrived in Korea on the 17th. This came 14 days after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took follow-up measures immediately after the issue was repeatedly highlighted by local New Zealand media and mentioned during a phone call between the two countries' leaders, issuing a recall order on the 3rd.

Diplomat A will undergo two weeks of self-quarantine and then work at the headquarters without a position. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to take follow-up measures regarding diplomat A. However, since disciplinary action has already been taken through an internal audit once, the ministry is very cautious about conducting an additional audit.

The New Zealand government has demanded a direct investigation, stating that diplomat A is accused of sexually harassing a local male employee while working at the New Zealand Embassy in December 2017. Diplomat A left New Zealand in February 2018 after his term expired, and the issue was revealed during an internal audit in 2019, resulting in a one-month pay cut in February 2019.

The New Zealand national victim reported the case to the New Zealand police in October 2019, and the New Zealand police requested investigative cooperation from the Korean government. In response, the government conveyed its position to cooperate with the investigation to the fullest extent possible within the scope of not waiving the diplomatic immunity of the New Zealand Embassy staff. However, the New Zealand side has expressed dissatisfaction with the matter through local media and during the leaders' phone call.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that it will respond if New Zealand officially requests investigative cooperation through formal judicial procedures such as the Criminal Justice Mutual Assistance Treaty and the Extradition Treaty. However, it is known that New Zealand has not yet made an official request.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.