SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) – Ambassador to Australia Lee Jong-sup returned home Thursday, 11 days after he left to assume the job, amid criticism of his appointment and departure when he is subject to an investigation into a Marine's death last year.
Lee, a former defense minister, was under a travel ban at the time of his appointment over his alleged interference in a military probe into the death of a corporal, who died last year while on a search mission amid heavy rains.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) and other critics have charged that Lee's appointment amounts to helping a suspect flee overseas and demanded President Yoon Suk Yeol withdraw the appointment and bring Lee home to face the investigation.
The issue has become one of the hottest topics in the run-up to the April 10 parliamentary elections.
After arriving at Incheon International Airport, Lee told reporters that he came back to attend a meeting of diplomatic mission chiefs related to defense industry cooperation and that he wants the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) to question him while he is in Seoul.
The CIO has been looking into Lee's alleged interference with a military probe into the Marine's death.
"I hope that schedule coordination with the CIO will go well so that I can undergo questioning while staying here," Lee told reporters.
His return came earlier than expected, as he had previously been expected to come back for an annual conference of South Korea's overseas diplomatic mission chiefs scheduled for late next month.
According to the foreign ministry, the gathering of ambassadors on defense industry cooperation will bring together the South Korean envoys to Australia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Qatar and Poland.
Some raised speculation the meeting could have been organized to give Lee a pretext for return amid worsening voter sentiment ahead of the general elections because there has been no precedent of the country holding such a meeting separately.
Ahead of Lee's arrival, a group of DP members gathered in front of the airport terminal to denounce his return, repeating its call for Yoon to take back the appointment and apologize to the public.
"It is an international disgrace and diplomatic discourtesy to Australia," DP floor leader Hong Ihk-pyo said.
Hong also accused the government and ruling party of hastening Lee's return because public sentiment is increasingly turning negative in the leadup to the elections.
The DP members held up small placards with phrases calling for the immediate dismissal of Lee and swift launch of the investigation.
Photo from Yonhap
