[2020 National Audit] Lee Soo-hyuk, Ambassador to the US, "Actively Seeking Government-Level Response to the Issue of Installing the Statue of Peace"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Lee Soo-hyuk, the South Korean ambassador to the United States, stated that the government will "actively seek measures to respond at the government level" regarding the Japanese government's actions related to the installation of the 'Statue of Peace' honoring the victims of the Japanese military's sexual slavery.

On the 11th (local time), Ambassador Lee Soo-hyuk made this remark during a National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee audit held via video conference, providing additional explanation in response to a question from Kim Young-ho of the Democratic Party of Korea about the Japanese government's attempts to block the installation of the Statue of Peace in the United States.

He previously said, "Since diplomatic disputes could arise, the embassy in the host country is not directly involved," adding, "If the embassy directly intervenes in the construction, it could cause friction with the host country, so we remain in a position of cooperating according to the voluntary movements of civic groups rather than leading from the front, which is understood as government instructions."

Regarding criticism that the South Korean government is taking a passive stance, he explained, "While respecting the voluntary intentions of civic groups and not showing direct government involvement, we are making efforts to understand the host country's situation and express our position."

In a subsequent statement, the ambassador said that the Japanese government's actions run counter to the spirit of responsibility, remorse, and apology that Japan itself has declared, and added, "We will also actively seek measures to respond at the government level."

Meanwhile, the 'Statue of Peace' installed in Berlin, the capital of Germany, is at risk of being removed by authorities due to objections from the Japanese government. The civic group 'Korea Council,' which led the installation of the Statue of Peace, plans to file an injunction to suspend the removal order.

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