DATE=8/4/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-236472
TITLE=SOUTH KOREA / FOREIGN MINISTER (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JOHN LARKIN
DATELINE=SEOUL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: SOUTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTER PARK CHUNG-SOO RESIGNED ON
TUESDAY, AMID MOUNTING CRITICISM OF HIS HANDLING OF A DIPLOMATIC
QUARREL WITH RUSSIA. JOHN LARKIN REPORTS FROM SEOUL, THE
MINISTER EXPRESSED SORROW OVER A DISPUTE THAT HAS SOURED
BILATERAL TIES.
TEXT: PRESIDENT KIM DAE-JUNG ACCEPTED MR. PARK'S RESIGNATION,
WHICH OFFICIALS INSIST WAS GIVEN VOLUNTARILY. NEWS REPORTS,
HOWEVER, SAY THE RESIGNATION WAS MERELY A FACE-SAVING FORMALITY,
AND MR. PARK EFFECTIVELY WAS DISMISSED.
HIS REPLACEMENT IS HONG SOON-YOUNG, A CAREER DIPLOMAT WHO SERVED
AS AMBASSADOR TO MOSCOW BEFORE BEING APPOINTED VICE FOREIGN
MINISTER.
MR. PARK CAME UNDER HEAVY FIRE IN LATE JULY, OVER A DISPUTE WITH
RUSSIA WHICH SAW THE TIT-FOR-TAT EXPULSIONS OF TWO DIPLOMATS
ACCUSED OF SPYING.
IN EARLY JULY, RUSSIA DEPORTED A DIPLOMAT AT SOUTH KOREA'S MOSOW
EMBASSY. RUSSIAN POLICE SAY THEY CAUGHT HIM RED-HANDED RECEIVING
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION FROM HIS CONTACT -- ALLEGED TO BE A
RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL.
DAYS LATER, SOUTH KOREA RETALIATED BY EXPELLING DIPLOMAT OLEG
ABRAMKIN FROM RUSSIA'S EMBASSY IN SEOUL, ACCUSING HIM OF
ESPIONAGE.
THE DISPUTE WORSENED LAST WEEK WHEN RUSSIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER,
YEVGENY PRIMAKOV, ANNOUNCED MR. PARK HAD AGREED, DURING TALKS IN
MANILA, TO TEMPORARILY ALLOW MR. ABRAMKIN TO RE-ENTER SOUTH
KOREA.
SEOUL OFFICIALS HURRIEDLY DENIED THE CLAIM, SAYING THE DIPLOMAT
HAD BEEN DECLARED PERSONA NON GRATA AND THEREFORE COULD NOT
RETURN.
THE CONFUSION FUELED CRITICISM -- LED BY KOREAN MEDIA AND
OPPOSITION LAWMAKERS -- OF FOREIGN MINISTER PARK'S ABILITY TO
DEFUSE THE CRISIS, AND ULTIMATELY FORCED HIS RESIGNATION.
(SIGNED)
NEB/JL/GC/FC/WTW
04-Aug-98 6:28 AM EDT (1028 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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