SEOUL, December 12 (AJP) - The Chinese government has expressed strong dissatisfaction with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's latest address to the nation, in which he mentioned cases involving Chinese individuals suspected of espionage.
Yoon cited these cases to blame opposition parties for lack of cooperation in revising laws to punish espionage activities involving foreigners.
China argued that these remarks are harmful to bilateral relations.
“China has taken note of the situation and is deeply surprised and dissatisfied with these comments,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.
China demanded that South Korea handle cases involving Chinese citizens fairly, keep China informed of the progress of these cases, and ensure the safety and legitimate rights of the involved individuals, she said.
“Such actions are detrimental to the healthy and stable development of China-South Korea relations,” said the spokesperson.
The Korean government is seeking to revise its espionage law to punish individuals for spying not only for North Korea but also for “all foreign countries.”
This year, a Chinese man was arrested by the police for filming the NIS headquarters. In a separate case, three Chinese students were caught flying a drone toward the Naval Operations Command in Busan on June 25 and are accused of taking unauthorized photographs of the USS Theodore Roosevelt there.
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