China’s Guangdong Province officials presented Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon with a portrait of another politician, much to both sides’ embarrassment.

Mayor Park met with a delegation from Guangdong, including Gov. Ma Xingrui, to sign an agreement on economic cooperation at Seoul City Hall on Friday.

Following the signing ceremony, the two sides exchanged gifts. 

While Seoul presented artistic handicrafts and promotional images of Seoul city to Ma, the Chinese side presented a portrait of Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung.

According to a Seoul Metropolitan Government official, Chinese officials apologized for the mistake and took the painting back. They only became aware of the error after the signing ceremony.

The gift was supposed to have been inspected before being given to Park but the Guangdong officials expressed their wish to reveal it on the day, claining it was a “surprise gift.”

The artist who painted the portrait is reported to have received a picture of the Gyeonggi Province governor from the Guangdong government.

The delegation is also scheduled to meet with Lee and they prepared a handicraft gift for him.

(hnpark@heraldcorp.com)