"I Was Reckless" - Current Ruling Party District Council Member Caught Holding a 5-Person Gathering in a Party Room Late at Night

5-Person Gathering at a Party Room in Mapo-gu, Seoul Around 11 PM on the 28th
Government Ban on Private Gatherings of 5 or More Nationwide Since the 24th
Assemblyman Chae Explains He Mistook the Party Room for an Office

According to an MBC report on the 29th, Chae Woo-jin, a member of the Mapo District Council in Seoul, was caught by the police and the district office crackdown team around 11 p.m. on the 28th while holding a gathering of more than five people in a party room. / Photo by MBC

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Joo-hyung] Chae Woo-jin (33, Democratic Party), a member of the Mapo District Council in Seoul, was caught by the police while having a gathering of five people late at night in a party room.

According to MBC's "News Desk" report on the 29th, Chae was found by the police and the district office crackdown team while having a gathering of five people around 11 p.m. on the 28th at a party room near Hapjeong Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul.

At the time, Mapo District Office, having received a report stating "there was loud noise until late at night," requested cooperation from the police, who then dispatched officers to the scene. Five people, including Councilor Chae, were drinking together at the location.

In a phone interview with MBC, Councilor Chae admitted, "Since there were five people (at the scene), I was obviously careless," and said, "I admit that I was wrong."

However, he explained that he had mistaken the place for an office rather than a party room.

District Councilor Chae Woo-jin. / Photo by Chae Woo-jin Instagram capture

He also claimed that he was there to greet local residents, and that he was unable to leave promptly because he was listening to the difficulties of self-employed business owners, and that he himself did not drink alcohol.

Meanwhile, the government had previously issued a measure banning private gatherings of five or more people at restaurants nationwide from the 24th of last month until January 3rd of next year.

The party room where Councilor Chae was present is also subject to the ban on gatherings of five or more people. Accordingly, the five people including Councilor Chae may be fined up to 100,000 won, and the party room owner may be fined up to 3 million won.

After the news was reported, Councilor Chae’s Instagram account was flooded with criticism from netizens. Netizens posted comments such as "Not being able to distinguish between a party room and an office, isn’t that excuse too pathetic?", "Singing and partying in a party room during these times," and "The explanation is disappointing."

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