[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] It is anticipated that the wife of the Belgian ambassador to Korea, who is accused of assaulting a clothing store employee, will avoid punishment due to diplomatic immunity. This has sparked claims that causing injury through assault yet escaping punishment simply because one is a family member of a diplomatic envoy constitutes a 'privilege,' and some voices are even calling for a revision of diplomatic immunity altogether.
On the afternoon of the 9th, at a clothing store in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, a store employee was slapped by a foreign female customer, identified as Ms. A.
At the time, Ms. A was wearing a white jacket of the same brand sold at the store. After browsing the store and stepping outside, the employee followed her to confirm whether the jacket was purchased, and it was confirmed that the jacket belonged to Ms. A. Realizing the misunderstanding, the employee apologized to the customer. However, feeling offended at being mistaken for a thief, Ms. A protested by demanding "Bring out the person in charge" and reportedly grabbed the employee's arm, leading to a scuffle.
During the attempt to break up the scuffle, employee Mr. B, who was nearby, was slapped by Ms. A. Mr. B reportedly suffered swelling on his left cheek and redness in the blood vessels of his eye.
The police booked Ms. A on assault charges and investigated her on the 15th. Upon identity verification, the foreign female customer Ms. A was revealed to be the wife of Peter Lescouhier, the Belgian ambassador to Korea. Since Ms. A falls under diplomatic immunity, the case is likely to be closed with a 'no prosecution' decision, although the police plan to proceed with the investigation according to procedure.
According to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, diplomats dispatched to Korea and their families are granted immunity from criminal jurisdiction and enjoy personal inviolability, meaning they cannot be arrested or detained. Consequently, even if embassy staff and their families in Korea are suspected of wrongdoing, it is generally difficult to proceed to criminal punishment.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Lescouhier was appointed to Korea in 2018. His wife, Ms. A, was born in China, graduated from a prestigious Chinese university, and has worked at an international organization in Belgium.
With Ms. A’s background becoming known, some reactions questioned whether "a Chinese person looked down on a Korean." One netizen expressed discomfort, saying, "Isn't it because she harbors a belief in Chinese superiority that she acted that way?" There are concerns that this controversy could further worsen recent anti-China sentiments.
Ms. A has yet to apologize for the assault.
An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated regarding the assault allegations against Ms. A, "We have been strictly addressing illegal acts by the diplomatic corps in Korea," and "We plan to actively respond to this incident." However, the official refrained from commenting on specific response measures, saying, "I have nothing to say about how we will respond specifically."
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