| The entrance to the Korean embassy in Beijing. Two Korean officials there allegedly assaulted a junior staffer, who is also Korean, while drinking at a bar recently, according to the Federation of Korean Trade Unions. Korea Times file |
By Kim Rahn
Two officials at the South Korean Embassy in Beijing have been accused of assaulting a junior staff member, according to a union representing Korean embassy workers around the world, Tuesday.
It was the latest case of misconduct taking place at a Korean diplomatic mission overseas, following a series of sexual harassment, violence and corruption allegations against diplomats and other dispatched government officials.
According to the union, a unit of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, two officials at the embassy allegedly assaulted the staffer at a bar in Beijing at around 11 p.m., Feb. 4. One of the officials worked for the National Assembly and the other was a member of the National Intelligence Service (NIS). The staffer who was assaulted is in charge of administrative work such as visa issuance and translation. All of them are South Koreans.
The staff member complained to the Assembly official about rude language and behavior, which prompted the official to allegedly strike the him in the head with a bottle of liquor. The official from the NIS allegedly threw the victim to the ground and punched him in the face.
The staffer received medical treatment and has been on leave due to mental shock, according to the union. He reported the case to the foreign ministry here, adding that he did not report the incident to local police, since the officials would avoid punishment due to their diplomatic immunity.
The union is composed of around 700 workers handling administrative affairs at Korean embassies in about 180 countries. It said such workers have suffered harassment and bullying by diplomats and other higher-ranking public officials, as seen in the Beijing Embassy case.
Calling for criminal punishment for the offenders, the union said in a statement, "The government should provide the victim with sufficient compensation and come up with official measures to prevent a recurrence of such acts of violence or bullying by higher-ranking officials at embassies."
The foreign ministry said it is looking into the case.