By Philip Iglauer
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman refused to put his bag through a security check as he left Korea on Thursday to Beijing, an airport official told local media, Saturday.
Lieberman was in Seoul for a two-day visit to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
He left through Incheon International Airport, after denying repeated requests by security officials to put his travel bag through an X-ray check, the airport official said, according to local media reports.
Under security regulations, passengers are not allowed to board their planes without passing the examinations.
Diplomatic pouches used for carrying official dossiers are marked separately to gain exemption from the rule but his bag was not marked according to protocol.
"The minister's bag did not fall under the exemption category and required a security check as per regulations," said an airport police official who also spoke on condition of anonymity. "In most cases, diplomats comply cooperatively with the security checks, so (the minister's) refusal was unusual."
The Israeli Embassy here said that it was a “situation that really should never have happened if protocol on the Korean side was done properly."
“Our Foreign minister should not have been exposed to a circumstance in this way,” Israeli Ambassador to Korea Tuvia Israeli said, Sunday.
“Everyone was very upset,” Israeli said. “This is something that the protocol office at (the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade) should have arranged, but something got messed up.”
When asked if he was worried mistakes like this might occur during the coming Nuclear Security Summit here on March 26 and 27, Israeli said: “I hope not, but (MOFAT) will have to improve a lot.”
In Seoul, Lieberman held talks with his Korean counterpart Kim Sung-hwan and discussed ways to boost economic and trade ties, foreign ministry officials said.
Lieberman’s also surprised his Korean hosts when he said Israel is still considering purchasing Korea’s T-50 training planes for the Israeli Air Force. "The option is still open," local media quoted Lieberman as saying.
Lieberman's statement contradicts the Israeli Defense Ministry's decision some weeks ago to purchase the Italian M-346 jet fighter as its new training plane.
Israel had reportedly planned to acquire 30 such planes in a deal worth a billion dollars. The South Korean T-50 training plane was the other main contender.