Daegu Participation Solidarity "Why Did Mayor Hong Joon-pyo Go on a Business Trip to the US?"... Watched the Inauguration Ceremony at the Hotel Due to Cold Weather

Daegu Participation Solidarity criticized on the 21st, saying, "Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo, who went on a business trip to the United States, reportedly watched President Trump's inauguration ceremony from a hotel," and questioned, "Why did he go on a business trip if he couldn't even attend the inauguration?"

In a statement released that day, Daegu Participation Solidarity said, "Mayor Hong Jun-pyo went on a business trip to the United States to attend President Trump's inauguration ceremony. However, today Mayor Hong posted on his SNS that due to the cold weather, he did not dare to go out and watched President Trump's inauguration ceremony on a large screen at the hotel."

Hong Jun-pyo, Mayor of Daegu

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Daegu Participation Solidarity continued, "Regarding the Chief Ball, the inauguration dinner event, he also said he did not dare to attend after seeing the long line in the cold weather, effectively indicating non-attendance. It is unclear why he went on a business trip without even getting close to Trump.

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Daegu Participation Solidarity stated, "Even considering the weather conditions of minus 16 degrees Celsius, Mayor Hong's actions are hard to understand. From the moment it was said that he was invited to President Trump's inauguration, there were many criticisms pointing out that the invitation was actually a seat ticket distributed early to the National Assembly and Senate, and was more like a seat pass given to local residents, foreign lawmakers, and companies investing in the region. Moreover, the seats were located at least 100 meters away from the Capitol building where the oath of office was taken, making meetings difficult. Therefore, there were criticisms that the delegation including Mayor Hong and the ruling and opposition parties' visit to the U.S. was not related to Korea-U.S. discussions but merely to take photos. Additionally, there was analysis that the benefit would be further reduced if the event was moved indoors due to subzero temperatures a week prior," it added.

Daegu Participation Solidarity also pointed out, "If he were a politician capable of making normal judgments, he would not have gone to the inauguration. What exactly is Mayor Hong Jun-pyo doing watching the inauguration from a hotel? Mayor Hong, who once said he was the only one who could face off against Trump if an early presidential election were held, is he just warming himself in the hotel because of the cold? Is Mayor Hong, who is neglecting Daegu city administration and using SNS in the U.S., simply enjoying himself? It is problematic for the mayor to be absent for unclear official purposes, but if the cost was paid with citizens' taxes, it is even more problematic," it criticized.

Daegu Participation Solidarity requested disclosure of information related to Mayor Hong's overseas official trips since his inauguration, including this inauguration.

The information requested by Daegu Participation Solidarity includes detailed project names, dates and countries of travel, duration of the trip, purpose of the trip, accommodation expenses, travel itinerary, airplane seat class, round-trip airfare, number and rank and names of accompanying personnel, total travel expenses for all personnel, and official invitation letters or related documents if the trip was due to an official invitation.

Daegu Participation Solidarity urged, "After reviewing the disclosed information, if there are any problems, we will hold Mayor Hong Jun-pyo accountable. Many citizens are asking why Mayor Hong went to the U.S. and what he did there. The Daegu city government should promptly disclose the related information, and Mayor Hong should explain to the citizens immediately upon his return what he did and what achievements he made."

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