By Lee Tae-hoon
Suspicions have arisen over the true identity of Deng, a Chinese woman caught having extramarital affairs with Korean diplomats in Shanghai.
Her husband, who reported Deng’s misconduct and possible espionage activities in late 2010 to the Ministry of Justice, says he has no clue about what drove her to cheat on him and why she was keeping consular documents.
The 33-year-old Chinese woman married a Korean man dispatched to a Korean company’s branch in China in 2001.
Her husband claims that Deng was a typical housewife raising their daughter until 2006.
He says she began to frequently meet Korean diplomats and stay out overnight shortly after her uncle became one of the most influential politicians in Shanghai in 2007.
Some suspect that she acted as a visa broker and trouble shooter by taking advantage of her connections with senior Chinese government officials and broad ties with Korean diplomats in Shanghai.
They claim that she charged tens of thousand dollars for solving business and diplomatic problems or brokering deals between Korean businessmen and influential Chinese officials.
A Korean cosmetics firm reportedly signed a contract with her as its adviser for the Chinese market. She reportedly was a wealthy woman, living in a luxurious mansion in Shanghai with her daughter and other adopted children and drove a BMW.
“Nothing, especially visa-related matters, could be done without her help,” a source said.
Others suspect that Deng intentionally had affairs with Korean diplomats to obtain visas for unqualified Chinese people and charged her clients between $5,000 and $10,000.
Deng used to lie that she was a daughter of Deng Xiaoping, the late leader of the Communist Party of China, according to a Korean politician.
But he claims that she was more of a con artist or a visa broker than a spy.
Nevertheless, many suspect that she was involved in espionage activities as well, given that she was found to have had sensitive information, such as visa records and mobile phone numbers of consulate officials and some 200 members of President Lee Myung-bak’s election camp on computer files in 2007.
The leaked documents also include emergency contact information of officials of the Shanghai mission, records of visa issuance and a document noting reshuffles at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Prosecutors say they are watching developments closely, but will face difficulties in summoning and questioning her as she is a Chinese citizen.