SEOUL | A member of US President Joe Biden’s security team, currently traveling in Asia, is being investigated in Seoul for “assaulting under the influence of alcohol” a South Korean citizen, a police said Friday.
• Read also: Biden in South Korea, under the shadow of North Korean nuclear power
The suspect, a member of the US Department of Homeland Security, is accused of physically attacking a South Korean while he was drunk the day before Joe Biden’s arrival in the country, told the AFP A police officer from Yongsan district, Seoul.
The American, 30, and the alleged victim came to blows over a taxi in front of the Grand Hyatt hotel, where the American president is to stay during his visit.
“The incident took place very early Thursday and the investigation formally began today,” the police officer said.
The alleged victim does not suffer significant injuries, he said.
Joe Biden arrived in South Korea on Friday for his first trip to Asia as president, a tour of regional allies over which hangs the shadow of a possible North Korean nuclear test.
Seoul is a close security ally of Washington. Some 28,500 American soldiers are stationed in South Korea.
The American president will continue his trip to Japan on Sunday.
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