S. Korean FM orders diplomats to uphold ethical standards

SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan ordered strong ethical standards from South Korean diplomats gathered in Seoul Monday, as prosecutors continued their probe into a stock manipulation scandal allegedly involving a former ambassador. "I find it regrettable that another scandalous affair recently caused concern to our people and wounded the pride of our ambassadors and staff who have worked with a sense of mission," Kim said as he opened an annual conference of overseas mission chiefs. "(We must) make a full commitment to ethical consciousness and examine our own working methods and attitudes in order to become a foreign ministry that meets the expectations of our people," he said. The minister's comments came days after Kim Eun-seok, a former ambassador for energy and resources, appeared before prosecutors on Friday for questioning over his alleged role in a stock-rigging scheme related to a diamond mine in Cameroon. The envoy was stripped of his duties recently amid allegations that he deliberately exaggerated the size of diamond reserves in the mine in order to inflate the share prices of its South Korean developer. The minister also instructed the 118 ambassadors in attendance to appropriately respond to a "fast-changing" diplomatic environment this year, which he said raises uncertain prospects for the future. "Especially in the wake of Chairman Kim Jong-il's death, there is much uncertainty in terms of the situation in North Korea, while the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia is subject to much fluidity," he said. "Our diplomatic response will draw more attention than ever." The Dec. 17 death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has been followed by what appears to be a smooth transition of power to his chosen heir and son, Jong-un, who is believed to be in his late 20s. "The North Korean leadership's consolidation of power is under way, but it's unclear which direction it will head in," the minister said, reiterating his previous assessment of the situation in the communist nation. In a sign of its unchanged policy, North Korea renewed its threat to retaliate for South Korea's live-fire military drills that began near their western maritime border earlier in the day. About 1,000 South Korean residents on nearby islands were evacuated into safe zones before the drills began. Separately, the United States is scheduled to hold bilateral nuclear talks with North Korea in Beijing on Thursday to assess Pyongyang's willingness to abandon its nuclear weapons program in exchange for aid. The talks are expected to serve as an indication of a possible reopening of broader nuclear negotiations involving the two Koreas, Japan, China, Russia and the U.S. (END)