'Cheonghae Unit Collective Infection' Sparks Opposition Calls for Immediate Dismissal of Defense Minister and Joint Chiefs Chairman... President Must Apologize to the Nation (Comprehensive)

Ruling Party Supports Military Responsibility
People's Party Also Asks, "Where Have All the Responsible Parties Gone?"

Kim Ki-hyun, floor leader of the People Power Party, is attending the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 20th and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] In response to the COVID-19 cluster infection that occurred in the Cheonghae Unit, the opposition parties criticized the lax quarantine system on the ship and held the President and the Ministry of National Defense accountable. The opposition pointed out that basic quarantine measures such as 14-day quarantine for external contacts and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing were not implemented, demanding that the President and military leadership take responsibility.

Kim Ki-hyun, floor leader of the People Power Party, stated at the party’s floor strategy meeting on the 20th, "No one is taking responsibility for the quarantine failure," and insisted, "It is only proper to immediately dismiss the Minister of National Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff." He also demanded that President Moon Jae-in "politely apologize to the public for the total failure of quarantine."

Kim criticized, "The Cheonghae Unit infection incident is a catastrophic disaster caused by political quarantine and complacency. Among the 301 crew members, 247, or 82%, were infected, including the captain and deputy captain, incapacitating the command. This is an unprecedented proxy return operation where the mission was halted due to the infectious disease and all personnel returned."

Within the party, Ha Tae-kyung, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly that morning, demanding a parliamentary investigation into the Cheonghae Unit cluster infection incident. However, Kim Ki-hyun expressed that further responses such as dismissing the Minister of National Defense would be considered based on the government and ruling party’s actions.

Other party members also united in criticizing the government and military on the same day. Seong Il-jong, a member of the National Defense Committee from the People Power Party, said on CBS Radio’s ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show,’ "The government could have coordinated with the U.S. Forces Korea to advance the vaccination schedule, but they did not even discuss this, which shows the government’s incompetence." He added, "Isn’t the Commander-in-Chief the President? The President, as the highest authority in state affairs, must apologize to the people."

When asked about the "initial infection route," Seong said, "I spoke with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last night," and relayed, "About ten people wearing protective suits brought supplies during a 3-night, 4-day loading period." He continued, "When I asked if there was an investigation into those who violated military regulations by going out individually, I was told that the unit was too sick and mentally overwhelmed to conduct such an investigation," emphasizing the need for a thorough investigation into whether military discipline was strictly observed.

Seong also pointed out that no quarantine measures were prepared on the ship. He said, "In the global pandemic situation, the military should have thoroughly prepared countermeasures against infection," adding, "There probably are no negative pressure isolation rooms on the ship."

On the same day, Han Ki-ho, the People Power Party’s National Defense Committee secretary, appeared on YTN Radio’s ‘Hwang Bo-seon’s Morning Start’ and criticized the lack of prior vaccination for Cheonghae Unit soldiers, saying, "If they had docked for just a week during the operation to get vaccinated, it would have been fine," and sharply stated, "The Ministry of National Defense and the Chief of Naval Operations must take responsibility for making lame excuses." Earlier, the Ministry of National Defense explained that the Cheonghae Unit members could not be vaccinated initially because their deployment date was earlier than the military medical staff’s vaccination schedule.

He also criticized, "It has been proven that if even one person on a ship tests positive, a cluster infection occurs, but the response was complacent," and "The problem was especially that the initial infected person was not given a PCR test."

He added, "They said they conducted antibody tests that take two weeks to yield results," and "They completely missed the window to block transmission." He continued, "After docking, if someone who had contact with locals boarded the ship, they should have been quarantined for more than 14 days, but they did not, so the infection spread rapidly," expressing suspicion that there might not have been even basic manuals in place.

He insisted, "Not only the aftercare but also the Ministry of National Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Naval Headquarters must review the quarantine system from scratch."

On the same day, Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, also called for accountability from the Commander-in-Chief, the President, and the Minister of National Defense through Facebook. He said, "Due to the government’s incompetence and complacency, young lives were threatened and military combat power was seriously damaged," and added, "Normally, the Commander-in-Chief should apologize and the Minister of National Defense should take responsibility. But this administration remains silent. Where have they all gone?"

He also criticized the Moon Jae-in administration’s shortcomings, pointing out that "the Moon administration lacks three things: responsibility, shame, and governance capability."

He emphasized again the need for regime change in next year’s presidential election, saying, "The next administration must never become such a pathetic government," and "The opposition bears the responsibility to prove this."

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