Ambassador Ra Jong-il Charged for Misappropriation of Embassy Budget

Korean Ambassador to Japan Ra Jong-il stated yesterday that he will “legally cope with the unfounded accusation” made by the Hangyore Daily, which claimed that he imposed some burdens on the Korean Embassy in China for the party in celebration of the publication of his book.

The newspaper reported on the front page of this day that “Ambassador Ra held a celebration party at the Kempinski Hotel in Beijing at 5 p.m. on September 10. Ra paid $3,000 of the publication cost, but it is known that an authority of the Korean Embassy in China paid the other $4,000.”

According to the article, the book is a Chinese translation of Ra’s writings at ordinary times titled, “A Common Perspective of a Northeast Asian Community.” Korean Ambassador to China Kim Ha-joong, staff of the publication company, and about 30 Chinese who are acquainted with Ra attended the party.

To the accusation, Ra made clear through a letter of explanation distributed this day, “The report that I only paid $3,000 and the Korean Embassy in China paid for the celebration expenses is a mile away from the truth. The sum of the expenditures for the publication and the dinner party cost 34,856 yuan (about $4,200), of which I paid 420,000 yen (about 31,700 yuan or $3,820) and 3,000 yuan (about $380) right at the spot in person.”

Ra also explained that the book was published in March, but he postponed the party as he was appointed ambassador to Japan. Thus he held the celebration party on September 10 in Beijing, during his summer vacation from September 8 to 12, with the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Lee Gyu-hyung, spokesman of the ministry, said that “a staff member of the Embassy in China personally lent his money for the dinner party to Ambassador Ra. On the next day, the money was returned by the wife of Ambassador Ra. In other words, there was no appropriation of the embassy’s money.”

Hun-Joo Cho hanscho@donga.com