By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter


Most foreigners who have an interest in how the Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry works in South Korea would visit its English Web site.

But if one visited its Web site at www.mofat.go.kr, one would be sorely disappointed; it could likely misinform a visitor.

South Korea has had two vice ministers in the ministry since July this year. But, until Oct. 4, the English Web site indicated that Lee Tae-sik, who was named by Chong Wa Dae as Seoul’s ambassador to Washington on Sept. 29, was the one and only vice minister.

In reality, Lee and Yu Myung-hwan, formerly Seoul’s ambassador to the Philippines, were the first and second vice ministers, respectively.

The ministry deleted this misinformation and posted a simple message, ``Being updated,’’ after The Korea Times informed the ministry of the mistake.

Yu was appointed as first vice minister while Lee Kyu-hyung, formerly the ministry’s spokesman, took Yu’s post, according to the presidential office’s personnel appointments.

The Korean version of the Web site also had a problem. Six days had passed since the personnel appointments on Sept. 29, but the Korean online pages failed to reflect the changes promptly.

Under the dual vice minister system, the first vice minister takes charge of bilateral and regional affairs, policy planning and management and diplomatic protocols. The second vice minister takes care of international organizations, treaties and cultural diplomacy, as well as overseas residents and consular affairs.

The Web site administration was not the ministry’s only problem.

The spokesman’s post is currently vacant as Lee Kyu-hyung was promoted to vice foreign minister. But the spokesman’s statements continue to roll out.

On Oct. 2, the ministry reacted to the terrorist bombings that occurred in Bali, Indonesia, and announced its appointment of a new president for the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) two days later by issuing the spokesman’s statements.

``We are trying to pick up an alternative, such as issuing statements under the name of the acting spokesman,’’ a ministry official said.

It is not yet decided when a new spokesman will be appointed, another ministry official said.

im@koreatimes.co.kr