US socialite to lose honorary consul title: S. Korea

SEOUL (AP) - South Korea will revoke an honorary title given to an American socialite tied to a scandal involving former CIA director David Petraeus, officials said on Tuesday.

Mrs Jill Kelley, the Tampa, Florida, socialite, misused her title as South Korean honorary consul by raising it in unspecified personal business dealings, a Foreign Ministry official in Seoul said. The official, who declined to be named because the matter is still being discussed, wouldn't elaborate and said it's not clear when the title will be revoked.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Kyou Hyun told South Korean reporters during a visit to Washington that Mrs Kelley inappropriately used her title for personal gain.

"It's not suitable to the status of honorary consul that (she) sought to be involved in commercial projects and peddle influence," Mr Kim said, according to Yonhap news agency.