Park expressed regret over TV anchor's slip of tongue

South Korean President Park Geun-hye expressed strong regret Wednesday over a slip of the tongue that a local TV anchor made about Chinese victims in the recent Asiana Airlines plane crash in San Francisco.

While delivering breaking news on the jet cash, the Channel A cable TV anchor said Sunday that it was a relief from the South Korean perspective that the two fatal victims in the accident turned out to be Chinese, not South Koreans.

The TV station has since apologized for the remark.

 "With one word, this forced a situation where favorable thoughts the Chinese people have had so far about the people of South Korea are about to evaporate," Park said during a meeting with chief editorial writers of major news organizations based in Seoul.

"How many scars this would have inflicted on the Chinese people?" she said. "There is a saying that scars inflicted on the minds are harder to treat and last longer than the scars on the body ... How could an anchor have such a thinking at a time when friendly relations between the peoples of South Korea and China should move forward?"

Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash-landed at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday, killing two Chinese teens and injuring more than 180 other passengers. Earlier this week, Park sent a message of condolence to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

(Yonhap News)