First lady Kim Keon-hee holds a Cambodian child suffering a congenital heart disease during her visit to the boy's home in Phnom Penh, Nov. 12, in this photo provided by the presidential office. Yonhap

By Kwon Mee-yoo

An opposition lawmaker, who sparked a debate over "poverty porn" allegations about first lady Kim Keon-hee's visit to a sick Cambodian child, said he sent someone to Cambodia to verify the suspicions around Kim's photo with the child.

Rep. Jang Kyung-tae, a first-term lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), said during an SBS radio show, Friday, that he made a request for the address of the boy's house which was delivered to, presumably, the Korean embassy in Phnom Penh, but did not get an answer.

"(One of us) went to Cambodia to check the boy's condition. However, it was not discussed by the party, just my personal decision," Jang said.