"Secret This" "Buy Me a Glass of Makgeolli" Public Official Sparks Controversy by Privately Contacting Woman in Self-Quarantine

Official in charge: "There was nothing strange or unpleasant in the video sent"

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A public official in charge in Gimhae-si, Gyeongnam, is under controversy for sending inappropriate texts and videos to a woman in self-quarantine. The official demanded the woman to "take a selfie showing only the silhouette and send it via KakaoTalk," and "buy me a glass of Makgeolli," among other requests.

According to a media report on the 27th, Ms. A, a woman in her 30s who was in self-quarantine, received multiple KakaoTalk messages and videos from Mr. B, the public official in charge.

Earlier, on the 11th, Ms. A installed the 'COVID-19 Self-Quarantine Safety Protection App.' This app requires users to report their health status twice daily, including symptoms such as fever, cough, and sore throat.

Since receiving contact from Mr. B on the morning of the 12th, Ms. A received over 20 messages including texts and videos.

On the 17th, Mr. B sent Ms. A a message saying, "Another pointless directive came down. They say to conduct a surprise inspection over the weekend and take a certification photo to report. I don't want to go out for the surprise inspection, so please take a selfie wearing a mask, with the front door slightly open, showing only your silhouette so your face can't be recognized, and send it via KakaoTalk. And this is 'secret.'"

On the same day, Mr. B sent another message saying, "You’re not answering the phone. Then the angel must descend; please contact me."

Mr. B also sent about 11 videos, including family videos, to Ms. A. Then, on the 25th, when Ms. A’s self-quarantine was lifted, Mr. B sent a message saying, "You’ve worked hard all this time. Today, you are officially released from self-quarantine. Enjoy the homeland’s nature to your heart’s content in May, the queen of seasons, and I hope you always become a wonderful Ms. A who lives with neighbors." He added, "Make money and buy me a glass of Makgeolli. On behalf of the quarantine authorities, I wish you success and development in your future. Oh, by the way, this is your in-charge oppa sending the last video."

Meanwhile, in an interview with a media outlet, Mr. B said, "I have a hobby of video production, so I made and sent the videos, and there was nothing strange or unpleasant in the content," adding, "If she had said from the beginning that she didn’t want to see KakaoTalk messages or videos, I wouldn’t have sent them."

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