Jeonnam Governor Kim Young-rok: "Officials Who Played Golf Amid COVID-19 Crisis Will Be Strictly Disciplined"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Governor Kim Young-rok of Jeonnam Province announced that strict disciplinary action will be taken against provincial government officials confirmed to have played golf at a time when gatherings are being discouraged due to the spread of COVID-19.

In an apology issued on the 10th, Governor Kim said, “I apologize for causing concern due to the improper conduct of public officials belonging to Jeonnam Province and city/county offices amid the serious situation where COVID-19 is rapidly spreading in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions.” He added, “Public officials, who should practice preventive measures with utmost restraint, held a group golf meeting and came into contact with a confirmed case, nearly putting the local community at risk. This incident represents a serious moral lapse and deserves strong criticism.”

It was revealed that 12 people, including three officials from the Jeonnam Provincial Office, held a golf meeting on the 4th after a public official from Yeongam tested positive for COVID-19. The remaining 11 individuals all tested negative.

Governor Kim stated, “Fortunately, the Jeonnam Provincial Office, which serves as the control tower for quarantine efforts, avoided the worst-case scenario of being threatened. However, we will hold those responsible strictly accountable for violating Article 48 on the duty of diligence and Article 55 on maintaining dignity under the Local Public Officials Act due to their irresponsible behavior, which public officials should not have engaged in.” He promised, “All public officials will take special care to ensure that such unfortunate incidents never happen again, and we will do our utmost to prevent local COVID-19 infections.”

Meanwhile, since the 1st, Jeonnam Province has continuously emphasized strengthened behavioral guidelines, including refraining from visiting other regions and private gatherings, to all residents including public officials, as part of special instructions from the governor.

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