[Inside Chodong] Jamboree Responsibility Debate... The Persistent "Blame Game" in Politics

Embarrassing Remarks by Jeonbuk Governor
Ruling and Opposition Parties Clash Over Responsibility for Poor Management
Thorough Investigation and Restoration of National Image Needed

Apologies were made, but there is no sincerity to be found at all. While it is unreasonable to place the entire responsibility for the poor management of the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree on one party, the remarks made by Kim Kwan-young, Governor of Jeonbuk Province, at a press conference two days ago reveal that our politics, still relying on blaming others and appealing to supporters, continues to stray off course.

The governor of Jeollabuk-do, who held a massive budget and personnel in his hands, pointed to the British delegation and SNS as reasons for the jamboree’s disruption. Governor Kim stated, "Communication through SNS has become more active than in the past, which caused the initial issues to become publicized," and added, "The British Scout delegation withdrew and highlighted the restroom issue to justify their withdrawal," blaming the British delegation. This is a true moment where former President Moon Jae-in’s Facebook post saying "The shame belongs to the people" rings true.

His remark implying that "in the past, because the national income level was not high, the level of patience was also higher" is also embarrassing for us. According to the logic that as national income rises, patience decreases, the people of the Republic of Korea have now become those who cannot endure even minor inconveniences and cause a fuss. I want to ask whether his statement, "I will no longer tolerate acts that disgrace the honor of Jeonbuk people," includes the people of the Republic of Korea.

That said, it is also undesirable for the ruling party to push all the blame for the jamboree’s poor management onto Jeonbuk alone. The joint organizing committee chairpersons for this jamboree were the ministers of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, while Governor Kim was the executive committee chairman, a level below them.

In particular, public criticism of Minister Kim Hyun-sook of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, who was effectively in charge of practical affairs, remains strong. The event itself became controversial due to inadequate heatwave measures and poor management, and she caused a stir by describing allegations of sexual crimes within the camp as "minor." When concerns were raised that this could negatively affect the bid for the Busan Expo, she responded with the absurd claim that "this is rather a moment to show the world Korea’s crisis response capabilities," adding fuel to the critical public opinion.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family’s attitude in reviewing this incident is also problematic. When reporters asked questions related to the jamboree disruption, the ministry responded, "Minister Kim Hyun-sook carries a heavy sense of responsibility as the organizing committee chairperson and does not agree with the criticism that there was a lack of responsibility for the jamboree," and the requested ministerial briefing was canceled citing "response to National Assembly data requests."

Although the political sphere has shifted to a "condolence political climate" due to President Yoon Seok-yeol’s father’s passing, it is obvious that once this short period ends, the ruling and opposition parties will turn their arrows at each other again. The blame game among the presidential office saying "It was prepared for five years under the previous administration," the ruling party leadership stating "If we are to assign responsibility, it lies with the Moon Jae-in government and former and current Jeonbuk governors," and the opposition leadership claiming "The jamboree incident has damaged national prestige and caused great disappointment among Jeonbuk residents and the public" is entirely predictable.

However, now is the time to focus on thorough accountability and restoring the country’s image in the international community instead of blaming others. The political sphere must not obscure the essence, whether through a state audit or investigation, so that the public can understand where billions of won in taxes were wasted. To prevent the fallout from affecting the "2030 Busan World Expo," each party should demonstrate to the international community that they will take responsibility commensurate with their mistakes. At this point, we also hope for change from the presidential office. Despite having held power for well over a year, their continued fight against the previous administration is now almost pitiful. / Political Department Deputy Director Bae Kyung-hwan

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