People Power Party floor leader Song Eon-seog said that after visiting Cambodia, where kidnapping and confinement crimes targeting Koreans occurred, the embassy on the ground had reported the crime situation in detail to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs two months earlier. He also urged the resignation of Minister Cho Hyun, saying she "lied" in connection with her testimony at a National Assembly audit that "there was inadequate reporting by the embassy."
At a press briefing at Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 23rd, the floor leader said, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shifted the blame for its delayed response to the embassy's inadequate reporting in Cambodia," adding, "But as confirmed at the audit yesterday, the embassy's report to the ministry on Aug. 11 stated verbatim that it was determined the victim died of cardiac arrest after suffering severe pain due to torture."
He continued, "A grave report that torture was taking place was first submitted by official letter from the embassy to the ministry headquarters two months ago," and pointed out, "Was this cable so trivial that the Minister thought there was nothing wrong, or did the Minister of Foreign Affairs lie to the public?"
He also raised the possibility that Cho committed perjury. The floor leader said, "The fact that the ministry's explanation differs from what was confirmed at the local embassy suggests there may be perjury intended to evade responsibility for the citizen's death," emphasizing, "If not, it means the ministry's management and oversight reporting system has been structurally and seriously damaged."
He added, "The Lee Jae-myung administration is failing to carry out even the most basic duty of protecting the lives and safety of its nationals," and stressed, "The incompetent Minister Cho, who is merely watching the situation, should take responsibility for this crisis and make a decision about her position on her own."
The floor leader also said, "To resolve the situation, senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and further, senior figures at the presidential office should step forward and communicate directly with Cambodia's top leadership," adding, "Even now, direct communication by the highest level of the presidential office with the responsible top authorities of the Cambodian government is the first way to save citizens who are being confined and tortured."