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Xiang had tried on several items of clothing and was just about to leave the store when one of the store employees stopped her. She mistakenly believed that Xiang had stolen clothes. The ambassador’s wife felt insulted, which made the conversation with the two employees heated. Security cameras recorded Xiang punching one of the salesmen in the face.
When Xiang’s apologies were not forthcoming, the store employee decided to share the camera images. The South Korean channel SBS broadcast a video of the incident on national television, on which all hell broke loose. Thousands of outraged citizens signed a petition to deport the ambassador’s wife.
Excuses
Belgian ambassador Peter Lescouhier apologized last week in a video on Instagram for his wife’s behavior. “Regardless of the circumstances, the way she responded is unacceptable.” He said his wife was hospitalized shortly after the event, but would like to apologize as soon as things get better.
The South Korean people don’t seem to be satisfied with Lescouhier’s apologies. The call for Xiang’s departure is still growing, some also think that the Belgian ambassador should leave. Xiang’s Chinese roots also play a role in this. In recent years, South Korea’s public opinion of China has become increasingly negative.
Prosecution
A Seoul police spokesperson told AP news agency on Tuesday that the investigation into the incident will be officially ended soon, because the embassy has announced that it is “invoking the right to inviolability of the ambassador’s wife.” According to local media, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is still investigating whether it will take further steps.
Employees of embassies and their families are diplomatically inviolable in all countries that have signed the Vienna Convention. That means they cannot be arrested or prosecuted. However, diplomats can decide themselves whether they want to make use of this right.
Belgium and South Korea generally have a good relationship. The timing of the incident is particularly bad, with the countries celebrating the 120th anniversary of their diplomatic ties this year.
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