S Korean foreign minister apologises for 'painful mistake' during Moon's trip to M'sia

South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha apologised to Parliament over South Korean President Moon Jae-in using the wrong greetings during his visit to Malaysia earlier this month.

According to AFP, she told Parliament on Wednesday that her ministry made a "painful mistake.”

"I apologise for causing concerns," she added in response to criticism from opposition lawmakers and newspapers, which described it as a “diplomatic disaster”.

During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Moon had greeted his audience with the phrase “Selamat Sore”, which is more commonly used in Indonesia.

Moon's critics were further infuriated when he used a phrase that meant “good afternoon” during a dinner beginning at 8pm.

In an article published today, The Korea Times slammed the "incompetence" of the presidential protocol team.

"The absence of a protest from the host country does not excuse the unbelievable carelessness," it said, adding it was one of a series of incidents demonstrating a "serious lack of professionalism and ethics".

The AFP report, which was published in the Singapore Straits Times, also quoted an aide to Mahathir as saying that "selamat sore" was usable in Malaysia too.

"We were happy and amused when the president said it. Personally, it is a non-issue,” added the aide.