Accusation of Vietnamese Official for Harassment of Korean Employee Sparks Diplomatic Crisis
In an incident that sparked widespread controversy and media attention in South Korea, Korean media reported that the Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Defense Huang Xuan Sinh is accused of harassing a South Korean civilian employee during his participation in an annual security forum held in the capital, Seoul, last September.
According to reports, the deputy minister "engaged in inappropriate touching" of the employee during the official event, prompting the Korean government to take diplomatic action.
* Seoul Takes Action and Summons Vietnamese Military Attaché
The South Korean Ministry of Defense confirmed today, Tuesday, that it has taken what it described as "appropriate measures" regarding the incident, but refrained from disclosing specific details "out of respect for the victim's wishes and confidentiality," according to a statement from an official to the French Press Agency.
The source also indicated that the military attaché at the Vietnamese embassy in Seoul was summoned a week after the incident, where he expressed "his deep regret" for the incident, assuring that such behavior "will not be repeated," according to local media reports.
* Official Condemnation and Ongoing Investigations
In a closed briefing with several South Korean journalists, the Korean Ministry of Defense expressed its condemnation of the behavior of the Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Defense, noting that it has called for "preventive measures" to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
Reports indicated that the Vietnamese official left South Korea the very next day after the incident, which was seen as an attempt to quickly contain the fallout.
* Silent Reactions from Hanoi
As of the time of publishing the news, the Vietnamese embassy in Seoul has not issued any official comment, despite repeated attempts by the French Press Agency to obtain a response regarding the accusations.
The incident highlights once again the importance of diplomatic conduct and mutual respect in international relations, especially in sensitive official events, while political and media circles closely follow the developments of the case.
