Belgium recalls envoy Peter Lescouhier, wife Xiang Xueqiu loses diplomatic immunity over Korea assault

Belgium will bring home its ambassador to South Korea amid public anger over his wife’s alleged assault of two employees at a shop in Seoul, AP reports.

The Belgium Embassy said the country’s minister of foreign affairs, Sophie Wilmès, decided it was in the best interest of bilateral relations to end Ambassador Peter Lescouhier’s tenure this summer. He has been the envoy in Seoul for three years.

While Lescouhier served his country with dedication, “the current situation doesn’t allow him to further carry out his role in a serene way,” the embassy said Monday.

The Belgian government also waived the diplomatic immunity of Lescouhier’s wife, Xiang Xueqiu, so that she could be investigated by South Korean police, the embassy said in a Facebook post.

However, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said her immunity was only partially waived and she still had protection from criminal trials or punishment.