Government Official Smiling at Osong Disaster Site... "Is This Funny?" Backlash

Controversy Over Laughter of Chungbuk Provincial Official Next to Minister Won Hee-ryong

A government official was captured smiling at the site of the flooded underpass disaster in Osong, Cheongju, Chungbuk, drawing criticism.

On the 16th, a photo showing Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, visiting the accident site was posted on online communities such as Bobae Dream. In the photo, a senior official from the Chungbuk Provincial Government is seen smiling next to Minister Won.

A government official smiling at the site of the flooding accident at Gungpyeong Underpass in Osong, Cheongju, Chungbuk, has been caught on camera and is facing public backlash. Photo by Yonhap News, BobaeDream

Many netizens criticized the inappropriate attitude. Comments on the post included, "What is that person smiling next to him? It's creepy," "All government officials who don't understand the situation should be fired," and "How can someone smile at the scene?"

The official, confirmed to be a senior member of the Chungbuk Provincial Government, was reportedly briefing Minister Won about the situation at the time.

As the controversy grew, the official told Yonhap News in a phone interview, "It seems the smile came out unintentionally during the briefing process," and apologized, saying, "Regardless of the reason, I apologize for my lack of discretion."

Meanwhile, at around 8:40 a.m. on the 15th, more than 10 vehicles, including city buses, were submerged in water at the Gungpyeong 2nd Underpass in Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, after the nearby Miho River embankment broke and river water flowed in. So far, 12 people have died and 9 have been injured in this accident.

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