![]() |
Ambassador Kim Do-hyun from the South Korean Embassy to Vietnam. Korea Times file |
South Korea's foreign ministry confirmed Monday that it has carried out an audit of the country's embassy in Vietnam amid allegations of power abuse by Ambassador Kim Do-hyun.
Based on the results of the five-day regular audit last week, it plans to "take necessary measures going forward," a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told reporters.
The statement came in response to a controversy over Kim's work style, viewed by many as unorthodox or eccentric for a senior diplomat.
He's accused of treating embassy officials in an arrogant and authoritarian manner, a practice called "gapjil" in Korean.
The ministry secured multiple related tip-offs during the audit, according to the Seoul-based Hankook Ilbo newspaper.
Ministry officials would not go into details, saying a formal review of the audit's outcome is still under way.
Kim, 53, was appointed to the post in April last year, having served as a Samsung Electronics Co. executive responsible for smartphone sales in Europe. He earlier served at the ministry. (Yonhap)