The parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, trade and unification grilled Foreign Ministry officials Wednesday on an information leakage involving a Chinese woman and three Korean diplomats in Shanghai.

Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan told the National Assembly that a special joint probe is planned for the Korean consulate in Shanghai on the leak of information.

Kim said that the incident in Shanghai was regrettable. He added that he will reaffirm professional discipline of all staff members at overseas missions.

Kim said that three South Koreans have been implicated in relation to the ordeal. Two of them, who belong to ministries other than the Foreign Ministry, have already been penalized. The Foreign Ministry is investigating the other, who works as a diplomat for the ministry. Currently, the Foreign Ministry is conducting a joint probe with the prime minister’s office.

The prime minister’s office questioned Kim Jeong-kee, who served as the consul general in Shanghai at the time of the incident, for two days starting Tuesday. However, Kim reportedly denied allegations that he leaked information to the Chinese woman and said that the information in question was not confidential in nature.

Korean diplomats, including the chief diplomat in Shanghai, were accused of having extramarital affairs with a 33-year-old Chinese woman and providing her with various favors. They allegedly provided her with classified information, including contact information of top government officials.