Yoon’s office says ambassador’s immediate return ‘highly inappropriate’

SEOUL, The presidential office said Monday it would be "highly inappropriate" for the ambassador to Australia to return home immediately, apparently dismissing the ruling party chief's call for the envoy's return for an investigation into a Marine's death. Ambassador Lee Jong-sup has been the subject of intense scrutiny since the presidential office appointed him earlier this month while he was under a travel ban over his alleged interference in a military probe into the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun. Chae was killed during a search mission amid heavy rains last July and Lee was the defense minister at the time. The presidential office's statement came a day after ruling People Power Party chief Han Dong-hoon told reporters the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) should summon Lee, and the ambassador should return home immediately, suggesting the issue was creating a burden ahead of the April 10 parliamentary elections. "The appointment of former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup as ambassador to Australia was a fair personnel decision choosing the right person in consideration of the security cooperation among South Korea, the United States, Japan and Australia in the Indo-Pacific region and our large-scale arms exports to Australia," the presidential office said in the notice to the press. "Amb. Lee will respond immediately at any time to the subpoena requests of the CIO, and it is highly inappropriate for the chief of an overseas mission to return home and wait indefinitely when the CIO has not even summoned him because it is not ready to investigate," it said. Lee appeared before the CIO for questioning prior to his departure to Australia and has promised to return any time an investigation need arises. Source: Yonhap News Agency