Korean Torture Story Was One Sided

The Korean Embassy has stated that it does not believe that the Ambassador's Korean cook, Ms. Sunhye Yun, a small woman can physically assault Ms. Antoinette Nyoagbe, adding that this paper's story was based on a one-sided allegation by Nyoagbe, a house-help at their residence.

It stated in a rejoinder signed by the first secretary of the Embassy, Mr. Young-ki Hong that the Crusading Guide story with the headline “Torture At Korean Ambassador's flat was groundless and incorrect because there was not assault at all. The first secretary also claimed that Nyoagbe stole Yun's picture for the paper to use in its earlier story.

“I have to say that the article was over sensational and xenophobic when reporters of the Crusading Guide put in such words as 'torture', collapsed, kidnapped, Korean torture, atrocities. The Korean Embassy strongly and rightfully demands that the Crusading Guide correct the mistakes and put a formal correction in the new edition, the rejoinder demanded. The rejoinder further stated that Ms Yun was not in the position to threaten and sack Nyoagbe.

According to your newspaper, Ms Nyoagbe claimed that 'Sunhye Yun hit my head against the wall till my head got swollen'. However if there were any injuries that she claimed, it was not possible to go unnoticed to other people in the Ambassador's residence. I don't believe that Ms Yun, a small woman, can physically overpower Ms Nyoagbe so early. Ms Yun swears that she never attacked anybody physically in her life. So far, all the evidence supports Ms Yun's claim and not Nyoagbe's, emphasized the rejoinder.

It further stated that around 12 o'clock on January 26, 2004, Nyoagbe suddenly claimed she had stomach ache and was taken to the hospital and that she never collapsed.

“It was later reported that suddenly, she claimed to the doctor that she was slapped on the shoulder by a Korean cook”, the rejoinder indicated. The rejoinder said that “it was reported in the morning of 27th January to the Embassy by the security guard of the ambassador's residence that around 9 o'clock in the evening of January 26th, three policemen came to the residence of the Ambassador, regarding the alleged assault claim”.

“As a norm of the international law that the residence of the Ambassador is inviolable, the policemen were not allowed to enter the residence”, underscored the rejoinder.

The first secretary recalled that in the morning of January 30th, the Embassy received a letter from the Superintendent of the Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) of the Ghana Police Service summoning Ms. Yun to their offices on February 2, 2004.

“Responding to this letter, the Korean Embassy explained in writing what exactly happened in the Ambassador's residence to both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the WAJU of the Ghana Police Service. Since then there has been no further development on this matter for two months. Mr. Young-Ki Hong, the first secretary pointed out.