The foreign ministry plans to carry out an on-site investigation into the alleged power abuse of the South Korean ambassador to China, Chung Jae-ho, against a staff member, diplomatic sources said Friday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to send a team of investigators to Beijing this weekend and carry out a two-week probe to find facts behind the allegation, according to the sources.

Chung is accused of verbally harassing and treating the embassy official in an arrogant and authoritarian manner, a practice called “gapjil” in Korean.

In a statement sent to correspondents in China earlier, Chung said media reports on the case are based on a “one-sided claim,” adding he will refrain from further elaborating on the case at this stage as an investigation is set to take place.

Chung has been maintaining his duties, including chairing weekly meetings, even after the allegation came to the surface. The ambassador, however, canceled the regular monthly briefing with correspondents on April 1.

Chung, a form
er professor of Seoul National University, was named ambassador to Beijing in June 2022, as the first envoy to China under the President Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

Source: Yonhap News Agency