Police Request Appearance of Belgian Ambassador's Wife in Korea for 'Clothing Store Employee Assault'... Ambassador "Will Cooperate" (Comprehensive)

Support for Victims Including Medical Expenses

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showing the wife of the Belgian ambassador to Korea assaulting a clothing store employee.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The police plan to directly summon and investigate the wife of the Belgian ambassador to Korea, who has recently become a social controversy due to an assault incident involving a clothing store employee. Regarding this, Peter Lescouhier, the Belgian ambassador to Korea, conveyed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs his intention to cooperate with the investigation.

On the 26th, Jang Ha-yeon, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said at a press conference, "We are investigating the subject (the ambassador's wife) as a suspect after securing the victim's testimony and closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage," adding, "We have determined that her appearance is necessary to verify the facts and are continuously requesting her appearance through relevant agencies."

Commissioner Jang explained, "We sent an official letter through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy," and added, "There is a standard procedure for crimes involving foreign diplomatic personnel in Korea, and we are proceeding with the related procedures accordingly."

Additionally, the police have taken active support measures for the victim. The Yongsan Police Station, which is investigating the case, stated, "Even if the suspect has diplomatic immunity, there is no difference in supporting the victim," and added, "Currently, we are linking not only economic support such as outpatient treatment fees and psychological treatment fees through the Crime Victim Protection Center but also psychological support."

In this regard, Ambassador Lescouhier officially informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the same day that his wife was discharged from the hospital on the 23rd and expressed willingness to cooperate with the police investigation. Ambassador Lescouhier personally called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate the schedule and said he would undergo the police investigation. It is known that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed that, apart from the investigation, it would help resolve the situation if the ambassador's wife directly apologizes to the victim.

The ambassador's wife is currently reported to be resting after her discharge. Ambassador Lescouhier expressed deep regret regarding the incident involving his wife that occurred on April 9 through a press release posted on social media on the 22nd, saying, "I apologize to the victim on behalf of my wife," and added, "Under no circumstances can my wife's actions be tolerated."

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