FM Cho Tae-yul questioned about controversy surrounding Sado mine memorial

[Anchor]

Recently, regarding the disruption of the memorial service for the Sado Mine, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol expressed his deep sense of responsibility, stating, "I will take any responsibility."

Members of both the ruling and opposition parties criticized the situation, calling it a "foreseeable diplomatic disaster."

Kim Kyung-jin reports.

[Report]

In an emergency inquiry session at the National Assembly to investigate the causes and processes of the disruption of the Sado Mine memorial service, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol stated, "I feel a deep sense of responsibility for not being able to assert our claims and for having to make the decision to withdraw at the last moment."

[Lee Jae-jung/Democratic Party Member: "Minister, what responsibilities will you take?"]

[Cho Tae-yeol/Foreign Minister: "I will take any responsibility."]

Minister Cho expressed surprise that Japan presented something that fell short of agreeable levels, and reported that he explained the situation to UNESCO, expressing regret and concern.

[Cho Tae-yeol/Foreign Minister: "If this is not implemented in earnest, I believe that Japan should bear the costs related to its image and reputation in the international community."]

Members of both parties criticized the government's response, calling it a "foreseeable diplomatic disaster."

The People Power Party pointed out that relying solely on Japan's goodwill has led to being taken advantage of for the second time in a row, following the 2015 incident at Hashima Island.

[Yoon Sang-hyun/People Power Party Member: "Regarding historical issues, we filled half the cup and asked Japan to fill the other half, but instead of filling it, they spilled it."]

The Democratic Party argued that the agreement itself was flawed and called for a change in the current government's policy towards Japan.

[Wi Sung-rak/Democratic Party Member: "I believe that this incident should prompt the government to change its basic stance on Japan policies and to gather more public opinion, as this will provide the driving force to develop Korea-Japan relations."]

Lawmakers urged that measures be put in place to prevent such "diplomatic disasters" from recurring.

KBS News, Kim Kyung-jin.