[Editorial] Rudeness of Ambassador Li Bin

The forceful handover of North Korean defectors by Chinese police and the assault of Korean diplomat are the issues that should be resolved together by both Korea and China. But it was rude of Li Bin, the Chinese Ambassador in the Republic of Korea, to ignore the Korean government and make unilateral and unverified statement on behalf of the Chinese government through Korean press. It is preposterous that this person who is residing in South Korea as a representative of the Chinese government is trying to gloss over the truth using non-diplomatic methods.

The South Korean government requested official explanation from the Chinese government through Kim Han-gyeong, Vice-minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, June 14, and it is China’s turn now to provide an answer. That is the way nations establish diplomatic relations and the way foreign ambassadors should act toward the country of residence when diplomatic tension occurs. What Ambassador Li did was ignore the Korean government by making a highly provocative rhetoric.

One cannot help asking whether Li is competent to deal with this problem that can impair the 10-year diplomatic relationship between China and South Korea. Li, who used to be a counselor of the Chinese Embassy in North Korea before he became Chinese Ambassador in Korea, must have confused South Korea-China relations for China-North Korean relations where China unilaterally enjoyed all the benefits. The reason why South Koreans are still so outrageous about this issue is because China is trying to ill-treat Korea.

Koreans will never forget how Chinese ambassadors used to make inappropriate diplomatic rhetoric that made Koreans so exasperated. Ambassador Li’s rhetoric seems to indicate that Chinese ambassadors continue to ignore the South Korean government, as they always did.

Ambassador Li and the Chinese Embassy assert that it was Korean officials who asked Chinese security guard to take intruding North Korean defectors out and that Chinese security guard did not even enter the Korean consulate. It goes without saying that the Korean government refuted that assertion labeling it as groundless and one-sided. Let’s presume there might be differences in opinions. But this case requires that both governments collaborate in unearthing the truth instead of placing the blame on each other.

Ambassador Li must bear in mind that the afore-mentioned incidents involve human rights of North Korean defectors and inviolable right of physical safety of diplomatic officials. We urge China once again to be more patient and prudent. It is ridiculous that while the Chinese government was trying to block the scene of assault on the Korean diplomat filmed by foreign TV reporters from being broadcast worldwide, the Chinese ambassador used the freedom of Korean press to make his blunt remarks.