South Korean police say they want to talk to the Belgian ambassador’s wife there, after an incident in which he allegedly slapped a merchant.
Filming from a security camera came online this week from a clothing store.
It shows a woman slapping a merchant who had tried to stop her from approaching another worker.
They suspected he was trying to leave the store with a piece of clothing he hadn’t paid for.
Police who were sent to the scene identified her as Xiang Xueqiu, the Belgian ambassador’s wife, according to an officer at the local police station. Police say they have received a complaint for alleged aggression.
But since then, police have been unable to contact Xiang, saying it was because he was in a hospital.
Reuters could not identify which hospital and could not contact her immediately for comments.
The Belgian embassy in Seoul confirmed that Xiang was hospitalized, but did not comment.
South Korea’s foreign ministry told Reuters that it had asked the Belgian embassy to cooperate in the matter and said it would take appropriate action based on the police investigation.