A South Korean lawmaker has accused the New Zealand Government of a "rude" approach in its attempts to extradite a former diplomat accused of sexual assault.
Hongkon Kim is wanted on three separate charges dating back to 2017. The case made headlines in the Asian nation after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern brought it up during a phone call with President Moon Jae-in a month ago.
"Headlines are calling this a 'national disgrace', if not an international disgrace, and I think it's going to be a headache for President Moon Jae-in, potentially a diplomatic nightmare," Korea-based journalist Raphael Rashid told Newshub Nation in early August.
South Korea blocked a New Zealand police investigation into what happened, citing immunity. Kim went on to represent the nation as Consul-General to the Philippines, but was recently recalled to Seoul amid speculation he could be sent back here to face justice.
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs even apologised for its handling of the case - but only to the Korean people for causing embarrassment, not to New Zealand or Kim's alleged victim.
But not every lawmaker in Moon's own party agrees. Yun Kun-young, who represents the Guro district of capital Seoul, angrily took to Facebook to accuse the New Zealand Government of making "excessive requests" and "raising issues through the press" rather than through typical diplomatic channels.
Yun defended Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha for leaving New Zealand out of his apology.
"It is rude to suddenly raise an agenda that has not been discussed in advance in diplomacy between the leaders. This is diplomacy A B C," he wrote on Facebook, according to a translation.
But he did express some dissatisfaction with how South Korean officials had acted, including that they might have forgotten to warn the President that Ardern was planning to bring the subject up.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' initial response (measures such as separating the perpetrator from the victim immediately and protecting the victim) and disciplinary measures were appropriate. It is true that there seems to be some incompleteness in this part," he wrote on Facebook.
"Also, in preparing for the President's summit diplomacy, whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has properly checked and prepared the agenda is another point to be meaningful."
Yun said either way, it would be "responsible" to ensure a repeat of the shambles doesn't happen in future.
Police are yet to formally apply for Yun's extradition from Korea, and have in the past declined to talk about the case while it was still under investigation.
