Kim Du-gwan "Yoon Seok-yeol, the cause of COVID-19, violated quarantine rules... Apologize on your knees"

Presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol, who recently joined the People Power Party, visited the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 2nd, entering the office to greet the administrative staff working in the Policy Committee Chairman's office of the People Power Party.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim So-young] Democratic Party presidential candidate Congressman Kim Du-kwan claimed that "the quarantine authorities must strictly punish candidate Yoon, who caused COVID-19, for violating quarantine rules," regarding a People Power Party (PPP) secretariat staff member who tested positive for COVID-19 after contact with former Prosecutor General and PPP presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol during his visit to the National Assembly.

On the 6th, Kim posted on his Facebook, stating, "(Former Prosecutor General Yoon) should not hide inside his house using COVID-19 as an excuse but should bow and apologize to the citizens even now."

Former Prosecutor General Yoon joined the People Power Party on July 30 and visited the National Assembly on August 2, where he met with party leadership, secretariat staff, and National Assembly aides. The PPP secretariat staff member who shook hands with Yoon on that day tested positive for COVID-19 on August 5.

Kim said, "The PPP secretariat staff member who shook hands with candidate Yoon on August 2 at the National Assembly was confirmed COVID-positive yesterday. As expected. He violated quarantine guidelines and recklessly wandered around, and it finally broke out. I am worried about how far the COVID damage caused by Yoon Seok-yeol will spread."

He emphasized, "The quarantine guidelines established by the government to protect the lives and safety of the people are not a subject for political strife. No presidential candidate, regardless of party, is exempt."

He continued, "However, candidate Yoon blatantly ignored the guidelines, accompanied by 10 people, shook hands with an infected person, and roamed through as many as 103 rooms," criticizing him.

Kim Du-kwan, a preliminary presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at a meeting of the National Self-Employed Emergency Response Committee held at a coffee shop in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 3rd.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

He further strongly criticized, "Judging by Yoon’s recent actions, including his reckless remarks about the Fukushima nuclear plant, this person must either have lived alone on the moon or be stubbornly refusing to listen to others?there is no doubt it is one of the two."

Kim said, "Secretariat officials testified that 'they kept saying no, but they were protested against, and it was an unavoidable situation where they could not keep blocking the entry, so they cooperated,'" adding, "It was not done unknowingly but knowingly violating the rules."

He raised his voice, saying, "The greater responsibility lies with the People Power Party, which could not properly restrain a new member who joined just the day before. Representative Lee Jun-seok, who ignored the National Assembly secretariat’s warnings and allowed Yoon to roam the National Assembly, must apologize to the public."

Meanwhile, Kim Byung-min, spokesperson for Yoon Seok-yeol’s campaign, issued a statement on the same day, saying, "The Democratic Party continues political attacks by linking the candidate’s visit to the National Assembly Members’ Office Building with quarantine issues," and questioned, "If we follow the Democratic Party’s logic, what responsibility should be held for former leader Lee Nak-yeon, who entered self-quarantine after multiple contacts with COVID-positive individuals?"

He added, "Candidate Yoon’s visit to the National Assembly was conducted in accordance with government guidelines on quarantine rules, including mask-wearing," and countered, "There was a time when Kim Eo-jun, a pro-government broadcaster, visited a cafe without properly wearing a mask, causing controversy over the 'ban on private gatherings of five or more.' What was the Democratic Party’s stance then?"

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