Lawmaker pressured to resign for misquoting EU ambassador
Rep. Kim Eui-kyeom, a spokesman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), is under pressure from the ruling party side to step down for his incorrect quotation of European Union Ambassador Maria Castillo Fernandez.
On Tuesday, DPK Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung and the EU envoy held a closed-door meeting, during which they discussed North Korea’s threats, among others, and Kim later quoted the EU ambassador publicly as saying that the Yoon Sukyeol administration has its limits in responding because it has no channels for dialogue with North Korea currently.
Following the press briefing, the EU envoy voiced regret to Seoul’s foreign ministry on how her remarks were misquoted and Kim then issued an apology on Wednesday.
Rep. Joo Ho-young, the floor leader of the ruling People Power Party, urged Kim to step down, to take responsibility for the diplomatic discourtesy.
“The spokesman once again made a huge mistake, which drew international attention,” he wrote on Facebook, Thursday.
Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig, a fellow PPP lawmaker, also criticized Kim, saying, “It is pretty rare for a foreign ambassador to make a direct complaint to the government of a host nation, so this is a diplomatic gaffe and international embarrassment.”
Last month, Kim, a journalist-turned-politician, alleged in the parliamentary inspection of the justice ministry that Minister Han Dong-hoon had a late-night drinking party at a luxury bar in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, on July 19 and 20 with President Yoon Sukyeol, 30 lawyers from Kim & Chang, the country’s top law firm, and Lee Se-chang, the former acting president of the nongovernmental organization Korea Freedom Federation.
However, according to media reports, Lee submitted the location records of his cellular phone to the police that showed he was at Yeongdeungpo, western Seoul, at the time.