Visiting the Foreign Minister Ahead of Departure
Sing Haiming, the Chinese Ambassador to Korea who is about to leave his post, paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol on the 4th.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Cho received Ambassador Sing at the ministry building in Seoul that morning and encouraged him by saying, "You directly participated in the Korea-China diplomatic relations negotiations and have worked hard as the ambassador to Korea for the past four and a half years." He added, "Please continue to play a role in promoting friendly relations between Korea and China, no matter what position you hold in the future." In response, Ambassador Sing said, "Wherever I go, I will cherish the friendship I felt in Korea and strive for the development of Korea-China relations."
Minister Cho once again expressed his deep condolences for the Chinese victims of the recent fire accident at the Arisel factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, and Ambassador Sing thanked the Korean government for its care. It is reported that this was the first official one-on-one meeting between Minister Cho and Ambassador Sing since his appointment in January.
After the visit, Ambassador Sing told reporters, "I am grateful for the help from the Korean government and various sectors," and added, "No matter what I do after returning home, I will keep the good experiences in my heart and work hard for the development of Korea-China relations."
When asked about any regrets during his tenure as ambassador, he remained silent. Regarding what he did well, he said, "I worked hard" and "I made every effort to develop bilateral relations." He added, "I made many friends in Korea and will never forget their affection." Ambassador Sing, who took office in Korea in January 2020, is expected to leave his post in mid-June.
Ambassador Sing is a diplomatic expert who has worked on inter-Korean affairs for about 20 years, is fluent in Korean, and is known to have extensive connections within Korea, raising expectations. However, after a controversy erupted last June when he said at a meeting with Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, that "those who bet on China's defeat will surely regret it," his public activities noticeably decreased. It is also reported that he faced difficulties in official contacts with Korean government officials due to this incident. When Ambassador Sing returns to China, Fang Kun, the Charg? d'Affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Korea, is expected to serve as the acting ambassador.
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