German Diplomat's Dog Bites Wife Of South Korean Construction Chairman, Sparks Minor Incident

A small pup was responsible for a minor diplomatic incident between Germany and South Korea last week when the dog, owned by a German official, bit the wife of a prominent South Korean businessman.

Police in Seoul's Yongsan district said the alleged attack occurred as the German Embassy official was walking his dog in Namsan Park on Thursday, according to The Korean Herald. The 72-year-old victim, married to the chairman of a major construction company, told authorities that the unleashed dog suddenly ran up and bit her on the arm.

After the dog bite, an argument between the woman, who was accompanied by her son, and the German dog owner ensued. The situation reportedly escalated into a physical altercation. The son tried to fend off the dog and the pet owner pushed back. The South Korean woman went to the hospital after the incident, though her injury was not serious.

The German official was questioned after the incident, but because his embassy position affords him diplomatic immunity, he was not detained, as The Chosun Ilbo daily newspaper notes.

Since the mishap, the Germany's local embassy in South Korea has intervened.

"The German [E]mbassy in Seoul is in contact with all involved parties in order to find a constructive solution," a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told Germany's The Local.