"Daegu Incident... Shincheonji Incident" Hong Nam-gi Faces Trouble Over 'Corona' Remarks in National Assembly (Summary)

Deputy Prime Minister Hong Breaks a Sweat Over 'Daegu Incident' Remarks at National Assembly Budget Committee

Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, is responding to questions from lawmakers at the plenary session of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 11th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] On the 11th, Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, sparked controversy by referring to the COVID-19 situation as the "Daegu incident" during a plenary session of the National Assembly's Budget and Accounts Special Committee.

During the plenary session, while explaining the changes in mask production volume, Deputy Prime Minister Hong said, "Just before and after February 19, the Daegu incident, and just before and after the Shincheonji incident?" He inadvertently said "Daegu incident" and quickly corrected himself to "Shincheonji incident."

Kim Jae-won, a member of the Budget Committee from the United Future Party who was presiding over the meeting, asked, "Did you officially say 'Daegu incident' during your answer just now?"

In response, Deputy Prime Minister Hong said, "I corrected it to Shincheonji." Then, Committee Member Kim asked again, "Do you usually say 'Daegu incident' but corrected yourself here because it would be inappropriate?" Hong flatly denied, saying, "No. I have never used that term."

However, earlier, when United Future Party lawmaker Lee Jong-bae asked, "When preparing the supplementary budget, did you assume when COVID-19 would end and plan accordingly?" Hong replied, "It was difficult to predict when and how it would end because the 'Daegu incident' was in full swing." This was about 30 minutes before Committee Member Kim pointed out Hong's use of the term "Daegu incident."

Committee Member Kim pressed Hong, asking, "Are you aware that a broadcaster caused controversy by calling it the Daegu incident?" Hong replied, "I do not know."

The broadcaster mentioned by Committee Member Kim appears to be Kim Eo-jun, host of TBS Radio's "Kim Eo-jun's News Factory." On the 6th, Kim said on air, "Our COVID-19 situation is both the Daegu incident and the Shincheonji incident," which sparked controversy.

On that day, Kim said, "As of yesterday, the ratio of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Daegu is one in every 560 citizens," adding, "The numbers clearly speak for themselves. Our COVID-19 situation is both the Daegu incident and the Shincheonji incident."

Photo by Cheong Wa Dae Petition Board

Kim's remarks, which sparked controversy for belittling Daegu, even led to a petition for his removal from the broadcasting industry. On the 9th, a petition titled "Petition to remove Kim Eo-jun from TBS, which is operated with Seoul citizens' taxes" was posted on the Blue House petition board. As of 7:30 a.m. on the 12th, the petition had gathered 35,373 signatures.

The petitioner stated, "Considering the difficult situation in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions, the medical staff doing their best, and even the 20-something public health nursing officers sent to Daegu who are sacrificing themselves, as a mother of a 20-something child, I was moved to tears. Just as I cried a lot when my child was a teenager during the Sewol ferry disaster, I feel the same now,"

The petitioner continued, "However, the words spoken by journalist or broadcaster Kim Eo-jun on TBS Traffic Broadcasting, which is operated with Seoul citizens' taxes, 'Daegu COVID-19 incident, Shincheonji incident' made me cry. I want to ask him: Is it the Gwangju May 18 Democratic Uprising or the Gwangju incident? Kim Eo-jun's politically biased remarks are nothing new," strongly criticizing him.

They added, "Why doesn't Mayor Park Won-soon make such a person step down? All the work done for Seoul citizens will be doubted for its sincerity," concluding with, "I petition for the removal of Kim Eo-jun from TBS, the traffic broadcasting operated with Seoul citizens' taxes."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.