Chinese state media slams South Korean protest letter.

China's state-affiliated tabloid, the Global Times, criticized a letter of protest by South Korea's embassy in Beijing, which expressed regret over a series of "unreasonable slanderous articles" by the paper. The Global Times accused South Korea of inducing and aggravating the collapse of the situation in northeast Asia by building security ties with Japan and the United States. The Chinese foreign ministry distanced itself from the tabloid's viewpoint, stating that it reflects current Chinese public opinion and does not represent the government's position.