Lawmaker accuses Beijing of ‘interference’ in South Korea’s internal affairs amid anger over parliamentary trip to Taiwan

Cho Kyoung-tae, who was part of a delegation that visited Taipei, urged China to concentrate on establishing peace by resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis

Beijing said the meeting ‘violates the spirit of the joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Korea’

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Beijing has been sensitive to foreign countries’ exchanges with Taiwan. File photo: ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Published: 2:49pm, 6 Jan 2023

South Korea’s ruling People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker Cho Kyoung-tae on Friday slammed China’s protest against a parliamentary delegation’s visit to Taiwan, urging Beijing to stop its “presumptuous behaviour” of “interfering in Seoul’s domestic affairs.”

“China should stop its presumptuous behaviour toward South Korea’s parliamentarian diplomacy, and rather make efforts for the peaceful resolution of North Korea’s nuclear issue,” Cho, the chairman of South Korea-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, wrote on Facebook.

His remarks came a day after the Chinese embassy in Seoul lodged a protest against the delegation’s visit to Taiwan from December 28 to 31.

The delegation included Cho, deputy National Assembly speaker Chung Woo-taik of the PPP, PPP lawmaker Lee Dal-gon and main opposition Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Won-wook. They met high-profile Taiwanese politicians, including President Tsai Ing-wen and legislative speaker You Si-kun.

Regarding their visit, the spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in Seoul said in a statement that the trip “violates the spirit of the joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Korea,” and, “China expresses its firm opposition and strong protest.”

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