Controversy Over 'Sanbul Golf' Kim Jin-tae Governor: "False Report... Legal Action"

"Golf Before the Wildfire, Drinking After the Containment" Explanation
Kim Gi-hyeon, People Power Party Leader, Orders "Thorough Investigation"

Governor Kim Jin-tae of Gangwon Province expressed his intention to take legal action, calling the media reports that he practiced golf and held a drinking party during last month's wildfire "clear false reports."

Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon Province
Photo by Yonhap News

On the 7th, Gangwon Province stated in a press release, "The Wonju wildfire that occurred on the 31st of last month was extinguished at 4:07 PM, and the Hongcheon wildfire was extinguished at 6:01 PM. The dinner mentioned in the reports took place after the wildfires were extinguished." Regarding the controversy over Governor Kim's golf practice, the province explained, "The visit to the golf practice range on Saturday, March 18, was between 7 and 8 AM, which was before the Pyeongchang wildfire that broke out at 4:38 PM that day. There were no wildfires in the province from the night of the 16th until the morning of the 18th."

Special firefighting team members are conducting extinguishing operations at the site of the wildfire that occurred on the 18th of last month in Pyeongchang, Gangwon.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The province added, "The golf practice on the 18th and the dinner on the 31st last month clearly occurred when there were no wildfires in the province. Nevertheless, if these events are reported as having taken place during the wildfires, it constitutes a clear false report, and we firmly state that legal action will be taken in response."

Meanwhile, on the same day, Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, ordered a fact-finding investigation regarding the KBS report that Governor Kim practiced golf and held a drinking party while wildfire suppression efforts were underway. On the same day, KBS reported that Governor Kim practiced golf in the afternoon despite it being a weekday on March 31, when the Hongcheon wildfire occurred, and later held a drinking party with acquaintances.

Yoon Hee-seok, spokesperson for the People Power Party, announced in a media statement, "Regarding the KBS report on Governor Kim, Leader Kim Ki-hyun instructed the Central Party Audit Office today to thoroughly investigate the authenticity of the reported content," and added, "He also instructed the Secretary-General to take measures to hold responsible parties accountable depending on the severity of the matter."

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