As Flood Raged, Lawmakers Played Golf

The fact that executive members of the Grand National Party (GNP) played golf and held a drinking party around the Jeongseon area in Gangwon Province, which is severely damaged by a heavy rain, has elicited public criticism.

According to the GNP on July 21, the party’s Gyeonggi Province branch chairman Hong Mun-jong, vice chairmen Kim Yong-su, Kim Cheol-gi, the council chairman of party members in Yongin area Hong Yeong-gi, Lee Jae-yeong, the council chairman of party members in Pyeongtaek area, and other party members held a golf game with local businessmen divided into two teams on July 20.

It is known that the businessman who attended this game paid around 1.3 million won for the golf expenses. It is reported that they had a drinking party and stayed in a suite room in a hotel at Gangwon Land after playing golf.

Demanding a resignation of Chairman Hong, the GNP held a Party Ethics Committee meeting and began on-site inspections by dispatching a research group to Jeongseon yesterday.

GNP chairman Kang Jae-sub said in a press conference, “There are no excuses for this unjustifiable act,” and also stated, “I apologize deeply to citizens with my true heart” after he finished his voluntary activity of restoring damaged areas at Danyang, Chungbuk Province yesterday afternoon.

Regarding the golf stir, Uri Party Chairman Kim Geun-tae said critically, “The GNP should remember the people’s criticism of becoming an arrogant opposition party.”

“The executive members of the GNP thoughtlessly enjoyed golf at Jeongseon even before a matter settled down that occurred earlier in which the Danyang county governor had a drinking party beside the flooding river,” Uri Party Spokesperson Woo Sang-ho said.

Hong Yeong-gi, the council chairman of party members in Yongin area, apologized with a remark, “The executive members were supposed to help out former Gyeonggi Province Governor Sohn Hak-gyu with the restoration work at Danyang area.”

However, Hong argued, “It is not true that the local businessmen paid the golf expenses. We collected 200,000 won from each member.”

Sang-Rok Lee myzodan@donga.com