The Chinese Embassy in South Korea denounced a South Korean delegation’s recent visit to Taiwan. The embassy spokesperson made his criticisms in a post on the social media platform WeChat on Thursday, using the official embassy account.
The embassy said the visit seriously violates the one-China principle and the foundation of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea. The embassy added that the visit harms the development of friendly relations with South Korea.
The post came in response to a visit by South Korean legislators including deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Chung Woo-taik in late December. The South Korean Yonhap News Agency reports that the spokesperson for South Korea’s foreign ministry Lim Soo-suk addressed the issue during a regular press briefing. Chung said that South Korea maintains and respects the One-China policy. He added that the government had no comment on the actions of individual lawmakers.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry strongly refuted the Chinese Embassy’s statement on Friday. They said that receiving foreign delegations is part of the normal exercise of a country’s national sovereignty. They added that the embassy’s comments not only distort the facts, but also violate the national dignity of South Korea.
Chung Woo-taik himself told a Korean newspaper on Thursday that there was nothing problematic about the visit. He added that members of the South Korea-Taiwan Friendship Association, which organized the visit, have been visiting Taiwan every year since its founding in 2012.