The Democratic United Party’s Rep. Lim Su-kyung was under fire on Sunday for reportedly calling activist-turned-lawmaker Ha Tae-keung of the Saenuri Party an “apostate” and lashing out at a college student who defected from the North.

Lim, 44, is a proportional representative of the main opposition party and was once called “flower of reunification” by the North after she made an unauthorized and controversial visit to North Korea as a student activist in 1989.

The student named Baek Yo-sep left a post on his Facebook early Sunday morning and claimed that Lim accused him of being a “rootless defector” and lashed out at him for “challenging a lawmaker.” In the incident in question, the student jokingly compared North Korea’s strict surveillance to her assistant demanding the deletion of pictures he had earlier taken of Lim at a restaurant in Seoul on Friday. She also reportedly criticized Rep. Ha for engaging in North Korean human rights issues and called Ha an “apostate,” or one who forsakes his religion, party or cause.

As criticism escalated, Lim released a statement apologizing for the event.

“The remarks on Friday and the controversy are all caused by my shortcomings and I sincerely apologize to all who may have been hurt by my inappropriate comments,” she said, adding she telephoned Rep. Ha to apologize and plans to meet with Baek separately to apologize.

Lim also explained that by “apostate,” she meant to point out how Rep. Ha joined the ruling conservative party.

The Saenuri Party also took its cue to condemn Lim and said the first-term lawmaker must bear ethical and political responsibility if her violent remarks were true.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)