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China on Thursday refused to apologize for forcibly shutting down a press conference by South Korean lawmakers a day earlier, saying only that officials took appropriate action in accordance with the law.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in a regular press briefing that the disruption of the Korean delegation's press conference was an appropriate legal measure and those staying in China must abide by its laws. But he dodged all questions as to what Chinese law the South Korean delegates had violated.
Meanwhile, South Korean Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Choi Young-jin summoned the Chinese ambassador to express regret over the disruption of the press conference and asked Chinese authorities to provide a thorough explanation. He also asked the Chinese government through Ambassador Li Bin to ensure that there are no repeats of the incident.
The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said one of the four Korean lawmakers visited China at the invitation of the Korean embassy in Beijing but the other three had entered the country on tourist visas. Holding a press conference thus lay outside the stated remit of their visit, he said. He added that those who used force against journalists attempting to attend the press conference appeared to be hotel security guards.
On Wednesday Grand National Party legislators including Kim Moon-soo planned to hold a press conference at BeijingĄ¯s Changcheng Hotel about the abduction of the Reverend Kim Dong-shik to North Korea and other matters relating to North Korean defectors they had investigated. But the Chinese authorities demanded the delegation call off the press conference and, when the lawmakers refused, switched off the lights and microphones in the venue.
(Cho Jung-shik, jscho@chosun.com )
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