Jeong Jae-ho, Ambassador to China, Expresses Concern Over Unreasonable Remarks by Chinese Ambassador to Korea

Jung Jae-ho, the South Korean ambassador to China, criticized the remarks and actions of Xing Haiming, the Chinese ambassador to South Korea, during a meeting with Deputy Director-General Nong Rong of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the South Korean Embassy in China announced on the 11th.

The South Korean Embassy in China stated, "On the 10th, Ambassador Jung Jae-ho met with Deputy Director-General Nong Rong of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the request of the Chinese side," adding, "He expressed serious concerns and delivered a stern protest regarding the unreasonable, provocative, and factually incorrect remarks and actions of the Chinese ambassador to South Korea during his meeting with the opposition party leader in our country on the 8th, which violated diplomatic conventions."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the 9th, First Vice Foreign Minister Jang Ho-jin summoned Xing Haiming, the Chinese ambassador to South Korea, who made remarks targeting the government such as "Those who bet on China's defeat will surely regret it later," during a meeting with Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. The meeting on the 10th appears to have been held as a protest against this.

On the 11th, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Deputy Director-General Nong Rong met with Ambassador Jung Jae-ho yesterday as promised (Weijian·約見) and raised negotiations regarding the Korean side's unjust reaction to the exchanges between Ambassador Xing and opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, expressing serious concerns and dissatisfaction." 'Weijian' is a diplomatic term used by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs when summoning foreign diplomats stationed in China to the ministry or meeting them at a separate location to deliver protests, equivalent to South Korea's 'summoning.'

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Director-General Nong explained China's position on China-South Korea relations to Ambassador Jung, asserting, "It is Ambassador Xing Haiming's duty to contact and engage with various figures in Korea," and "The purpose is to enhance understanding, promote cooperation, and safeguard and advance the development of China-South Korea relations." He added, "We hope the Korean side reflects on where the current issues in China-South Korea relations lie and approaches them seriously," and "We hope they sincerely abide by the spirit of the joint communiqu? on the establishment of diplomatic relations and actively work with China for the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations."

The South Korean Embassy in China introduced, "Ambassador Jung emphasized that mutual respect, reciprocity, and common interests are essential for the healthy and mature development of China-South Korea relations, and that joint efforts from both sides are necessary. He expressed hope for smoother communication between South Korea and China to achieve this."

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