"Not the CEO's Place to Speak"... Presidential Candidates Face Backlash After Criticizing 'Hwangje Jeon'

Hwang Kyo-ahn "I Could Hardly Believe My Eyes It Was North Korea" Criticizes 'Emperor's Protocol'
"It's Not Your Place to Speak" Faces Backlash from Netizens
Hong Joon-pyo's 'Boot Protocol' and Lee Nak-yeon's Umbrella Photo Controversy Also Cause Trouble

In 2016, a controversy over excessive security arose after a vehicle carrying then Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn entered the Seoul Station KTX platform, causing inconvenience to citizens. / Photo by Internet Community Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Despite the ruling and opposition presidential candidates unanimously criticizing the so-called 'Emperor Protocol' controversy that arose during Deputy Minister of Justice Kang Seong-guk's briefing on the 27th, a backlash is instead occurring. This is because some presidential candidates have also caused controversies in the past due to excessive protocol.

Hwang Kyo-ahn, the People Power Party's presidential candidate and former Prime Minister, wrote on his Facebook on the 28th, "A shocking photo has been exposed to the media. Is this North Korea? I couldn't believe my eyes. This is something that should never happen in the 21st century free Republic of Korea," and claimed, "It is a symbolic video that reveals to the world that the Moon Jae-in administration is an authoritarian government."

He continued, "The Ministry of Justice where I worked was an organization full of pride," and criticized, "I cannot fathom the state of mind of the employee kneeling behind the deputy minister holding an umbrella."

However, some citizens pointed out regarding Hwang's post, saying, "It doesn't seem appropriate for former Representative Hwang, who once had a car enter Seoul Station, to say such things." One netizen even shared a link to an article reporting on Hwang's past excessive protocol controversy.

During his tenure as Prime Minister on March 20, 2016, the vehicle Hwang was riding entered the Seoul Station KTX platform, drawing criticism for 'excessive security.' At that time, some citizens using the platform claimed they experienced inconvenience due to restrictions caused by Hwang's security team, which further fueled the controversy.

Former Prime Minister Hwang visiting Guro Senior Welfare Center in Seoul in 2015 / Photo by Internet Community Capture

In July 2015, when Hwang visited the Guro Senior Welfare Center in Seoul, social outrage arose online after photos spread showing elderly people taking the stairs instead of the elevator because Hwang insisted on using the elevator.

Hwang is not the only presidential candidate criticized for backlash over excessive protocol. Hong Joon-pyo, a People Power Party lawmaker, also posted on Facebook on the 28th, "This is how the people are served on rainy days," along with a photo of himself walking under an umbrella with residents.

Hong Jun-pyo, a member of the People Power Party, sparked controversy in 2017 when he visited a flood damage site as the leader of the Liberty Korea Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party) and received the so-called 'Boot Ceremony.' / Photo by Yonhap News

However, netizens criticized Hong by citing a past 'rubber boots protocol' incident. In July 2017, during his time as leader of the Liberty Korea Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party), Hong visited a village in Cheongju, Chungbuk, affected by heavy rain damage. At that time, a staff member next to Hong was caught on camera bending down to help him put on rubber boots, sparking controversy. Citizens expressed outrage, saying, "Is this someone who doesn't even know how to put on rubber boots trying to lead flood recovery?"

Lee Nak-yeon, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate and former party leader, was also not spared from criticism. On the 29th, Lee's campaign released a photo of him walking under an umbrella with party lawmaker Lee Jang-seop after a meeting with key members of the Central 3 Counties in Eumseong-gun, Chungbuk.

A photo released on the 29th by the campaign team of former leader and Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Nak-yeon / Photo by Yonhap News

However, criticism arose because the umbrella Lee was holding did not properly cover Lee Jang-seop. Netizens pointed out, "Don't they know how to share an umbrella?" and "Shouldn't the umbrella pole be placed in the middle or tilted toward the other person so one side gets less rain?"

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Kang announced initial support measures for Afghan special contributors and their families at the National Human Resources Development Institute in Jincheon, Chungbuk, on the 27th. At the briefing, heavy rain was pouring, and a staff member was photographed kneeling behind Deputy Minister Kang holding an umbrella, sparking the Emperor Protocol controversy.

As the controversy grew, Deputy Minister Kang issued a statement and officially apologized around 5:30 p.m. that day. He bowed his head and said, "I apologize deeply to the people for not recognizing the hidden efforts of our staff who spared no effort to ensure a solemn and efficient briefing, regardless of the reason."

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