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| Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha responds to a question from Rep. Kim Joong-ro of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap |
By Jung Min-ho
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has apologized in parliament over President Moon Jae-in's diplomatic gaffe during a summit with his Malaysian counterpart last week.
Addressing questions from Rep. Baek Seung-joo of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party at the National Assembly Wednesday, Kang apologized for what she said a "painful mistake."
This came soon after Prime Minister Lee Nak-Yeon acknowledged the error at the Assembly. He said he thought there were "unprofessional" officials at Cheong Wa Dae.
During a press conference with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on March 13, Moon used the expression "Selamat sore," which means "good (mid)day" in Indonesian. He should have said "Selamat petang."
The presidential office or the foreign ministry did not receive any complaint from the Malay government. But the issue came into the spotlight when opposition lawmakers and some media pointed out the mistake and criticized the administration for "incompetence."
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