Seoul: The Chinese Embassy in Seoul has expressed its opposition to linking China with South Korea's domestic affairs, in response to allegations of Beijing's interference in South Korean elections.
According to Yonhap News Agency, these statements were made following accusations by some supporters of the impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, who alleged Chinese intervention in the country's elections. These claims have been dismissed by South Korea's election watchdog.
The embassy stated, "(We) oppose rashly linking South Korea's domestic affairs to China," expressing confidence that the South Korean populace would understand the situation accurately and make informed judgments. This statement marks the first official response from Chinese authorities regarding the allegations, as Beijing's foreign ministry had previously refrained from commenting on what it described as South Korea's internal matters.
The controversy arose after Sky Daily, a minor South Korean media outlet, reported that 99 Chinese spies were captured at a National Election Commission facility during President Yoon's brief implementation of martial law on December 3. The spies were allegedly moved to a U.S. military base in Japan. However, the election watchdog has dismissed these claims as "clearly false" and has lodged a complaint against Sky Daily, prompting an ongoing police investigation.
Additionally, U.S. Forces Korea have also stated that the accusations are untrue.