Chungbuk Himalaya Expedition Team, Who Held 'Lee Jae-myung Acrostic Poem' Flag at the Summit, Faces Climbing Suspension Crisis

Expedition Team Support Budget Completely Cut... Controversy Over 'Political Neutrality' Violation

Chungbuk Himalaya Expedition Team leader Jo Cheol-hee, who succeeded in climbing Dhaulagiri in the Himalayas last October, revealed a three-line acrostic poem supporting Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate. Photo by Facebook screen capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] The Chungbuk Himalayan expedition team, which sparked controversy over political neutrality after unfurling a flag with an acrostic poem written in the name of Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, during their ascent of the Himalayas, is now facing the risk of halting their climb.

Earlier, on October 1, the expedition leader Cho Cheol-hee reached the summit of Dhaulagiri, the world's seventh highest peak in the Himalayas (altitude 8,167m), and held a flag with an acrostic poem written in Lee’s name. The poem read, "Lee Jae-myung is making it happen, with talent and drive, a honorable Republic of Korea." Some members of the expedition reportedly shared this on their personal social networking services (SNS).

Lee himself also shared the photo on his SNS, expressing gratitude by saying, "The chilly support declaration from the summit at 8,167m warmly embraced my heart more than any other declaration of support." He added, "Like the expedition team that overcame hardships and ultimately succeeded in reaching the summit, I will break through the thorns and pave a new path for the people."

However, some criticized that the expedition team, which received government support for the Himalayan climb, endorsing a specific candidate was a violation of political neutrality.

As the controversy grew, the Chungbuk Mountaineering Federation dismissed the issue in a press release, stating, "The photo of Leader Cho holding the support message with Lee’s acrostic poem reflects his personal opinion and is completely unrelated to the federation."

In response, the Chungbuk Sports Fairness Committee imposed a severe penalty of a one-year suspension of membership on Leader Cho and Expedition Leader Byun Sang-gyu. Related budget support was also cut off. On the 14th, the Chungbuk Provincial Council cut the entire 45 million won budget for 'Mountain Sports Revitalization Support,' citing that the expedition’s climbing plan became uncertain due to disciplinary actions against key members for violating political neutrality.

Meanwhile, the expedition team has successfully summited five of the 14 Himalayan peaks over 8,000 meters: Annapurna (8,091m) in April 2019, Gasherbrum I (8,068m) in July 2019, Manaslu (8,163m) in September 2019, Lhotse (8,516m) in May 2021, and Dhaulagiri (8,167m) in October 2021.

They had set a goal to summit the remaining nine peaks by 2023. However, due to the recent budget cuts, the climbing plan is effectively suspended.

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