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The Belgian embassy in the South Korean capital Seoul
Photo: Lee Jin-man / AP
After his wife was involved in a physical altercation for the second time within a few months, the Belgian ambassador to South Korea has to leave the country without "further delays".
That is what the Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmès decided, according to consistent media reports.
The departure of the diplomat is therefore faster than originally planned.
After an initial incident in early April, Wilmès had already decided that diplomat Peter Lescouhier should be withdrawn from South Korea.
However, the ambassador should remain in the representation in Seoul until the end of July.
Apparently they don't want to wait that long in Brussels.
The background is the behavior of Lescouhier's wife.
It had already caused a scandal in South Korea a good four months ago.
At that time she hit a clerk in a clothing store.
The saleswoman had accused her of shoplifting.
The scene was recorded by a surveillance camera.
The video was later shared on social networks.
The incident had strained relations between South Korea and Belgium.
Dispute with street sweeper escalates
Now the ambassador's wife has made headlines again in the South Korean media.
Earlier this week she had an argument with a street sweeper who had allegedly touched her with his broom.
The exchange of words reportedly escalated into an exchange of blows.
According to the US broadcaster CNN, the street sweeper told the police that the ambassador's wife yelled at him and slapped him twice.
He then pushed her to the ground.
The officials were called by the cleaning staff.
Both admitted that they attacked each other.
Advertisement had not been made by any side.
A spokesman for the Belgian Foreign Ministry confirmed to CNN that the ambassador's wife was involved in "an argument" in a park in Seoul on Monday morning.
"The circumstances of this dispute remain unclear," the statement said.
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