Kim Ki-hyun: "Xing Haiming Unfit as Ambassador to China"... Ruling Party Demands Apology from Chinese Government

On the 12th, the People Power Party launched a full-scale offensive regarding the controversy over the dinner remarks made by Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Xing Haiming, Chinese Ambassador to South Korea, demanding an apology from the Chinese government after it summoned South Korean Ambassador to China Jeong Jae-ho.

Kim Ki-hyun, the party leader, said at the party's Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, "Ambassador Xing's arrogance, which repeatedly infringes on South Korea's sovereignty and interferes in internal affairs, rather harms the friendly cooperative relationship between South Korea and China," adding, "(Ambassador Xing) is unqualified to be an ambassador to South Korea."

Kim Ki-hyun, the leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 12th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Kim stated, "An ambassador is dispatched to promote friendly relations and cooperation between the host country and the home country," and criticized, "Ambassador Xing showed rudeness akin to a local commander of an occupying force, and moreover, this is not the first diplomatic faux pas of this kind." This was in reference to Ambassador Xing's expression of concern earlier this year over South Korean lawmakers' visit to Taiwan, saying it would "deal a serious blow to China-South Korea relations," as well as his critical articles targeting President Yoon Suk-yeol's foreign policy during the recent presidential election.

Kim criticized, "When our government summoned Ambassador Xing, China responded absurdly by summoning the South Korean ambassador to China to protest, and the Democratic Party, which triggered this incident, has remained silent once again, even brazenly uploading a video containing abusive language against China on the Democratic Party's official YouTube channel as if volunteering to be the Chinese embassy's publicity department." He continued, "Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party are repeating the failed diplomatic strategy of the Moon Jae-in administration, which was busy appeasing China throughout its term. Lee's act of paving the way for the Chinese ambassador to interfere in domestic politics is a critical mistake that cannot be overlooked."

Floor leader Yoon Jae-ok also joined in, saying at the same meeting, "Ambassador Xing's remarks constitute a serious provocation that can be considered interference in internal affairs." Yoon said, "Our government's summoning of Ambassador Xing to issue a stern warning was a diplomatic response that any sovereign nation should take. However, instead of expressing regret, the Chinese government claimed that Ambassador Xing's remarks were within his duties and blamed South Korea for the current situation, which is another act of disrespect."

He pointed out, "It is necessary to clarify that the Chinese government's subsequent response greatly deviates from the Vienna Convention and international diplomatic norms," adding, "It is extremely rare internationally for a foreign ambassador to summon the opposition leader of the host country and publicly criticize the host government in front of the media, which shows a blatant disregard for the host country."

Yoon emphasized, "Ambassador Xing's remarks greatly exceeded the bounds of his duties, and the responsibility for the current situation lies with China," and urged, "If national pride is damaged, decisive measures that a sovereign nation must take should be firmly implemented." He called for a responsible apology from Ambassador Xing and the Chinese government.

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