By Kang Hyun-kyung
A high-ranking foreign ministry official expressed regret over an opposition party lawmaker’s misquotation of China’s vice president in a phone conversation with the Chinese ambassador here, Friday.
The move came two days after Rep. Park Jie-won of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said he was told that Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping called President Lee Myung-bak “a peace-breaker” during a meeting with the late former President Kim Dae-jung last May.
The lawmaker explained that Xi described President Lee using such an expression because he was discontent with South Korea’s North Korea policy.
The Chinese government denied the allegation Thursday.
The foreign ministry official told Zhang Xinsen, Chinese ambassador to South Korea, over the phone that he regretted that Rep. Park made such inappropriate remarks, requesting the Chinese envoy to deliver his message to his government. Zhang was quoted as saying he would do so.