Gominjeong on the '44 Million Vaccine Doses Secured' Banner Controversy: "Please Verify the Facts"

"'44 million vaccine doses secured' banner fake news? All media at the time gave it extensive coverage"

Ko Min-jung, Democratic Party of Korea member. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] On the 1st, Go Minjung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, mentioned the banner she had put up that read 'Secured 44 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine!'

On the same day, Go appeared on YTN Radio's 'Hwang Boseon's Start of a New Morning' and was asked about the banner by the host. Go said, "I had been thinking a lot about whether I should respond, but I also wondered if it was necessary," and opened by saying, "Thank you for asking."

She said, "I think there are many people who pay excessive attention to me," but added, "Before I put up the banner, on December 2nd last year, the budget bill was passed in the National Assembly, and at that time, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance issued a press release. The title at that time was the same as the banner I put up, 'Secured 44 million doses of COVID vaccine.'"

She continued, "There was also a government briefing on December 8th, and all the media outlets featured it prominently on their front pages," adding, "There was no place that did not report it."

Go also pointed out, "Even some opposition party members wrote that 'Go Minjung is spreading fake news' using this banner, and a reporter from a certain newspaper wrote an article titled 'Go Minjung is spreading fake news.' However, that same newspaper also ran an article with the exact same title as my banner on their front page at that time last year," emphasizing, "I ask that you check the facts and look at the matter carefully."

Regarding her statement at the JTBC New Year's debate earlier this year that "Buying vaccines is not like pressing a button to shop online," Go said, "'Why isn't it available now if it was secured immediately?' people ask. But in any country, vaccines are distributed as they are produced. It's not an online shopping structure where vaccines are produced, stored in a warehouse, and then sent one by one upon order."

Photo by Kim Woong, screenshot from the Facebook page of the People Power Party lawmaker.

Earlier, in December last year, Go put up a promotional banner in her constituency, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, that read 'COVID-19 vaccine, secured 44 million doses,' which drew criticism for factual inaccuracies.

Relatedly, Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party, also pointed out on his Facebook in April, "Where are these doses? Did the Democratic Party just do this again?"

At that time, Jung Eunkyung, the Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, announced, "The government has completed purchase contracts for 36 million doses out of the 46 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine decided to be purchased." It was known that negotiations for the remaining 10 million doses were ongoing.

Photo by Kim Woong, screenshot from the Facebook page of the People Power Party lawmaker.

Eventually, as criticisms that the banner's wording was inaccurate continued, Go's side explained at the time, "Some media outlets first used the expression 'secured 44 million doses of vaccine.' Since we quoted the media reports directly, there is no problem." They also said, "As a result, the contract for over 44 million doses of vaccine is imminent, so it cannot be considered spreading false information."

However, on the 26th of last month, Kim posted a photo of Go's banner again on Facebook and directly criticized, "If this is fake news, isn't this top-tier?"

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