Hong Ik-pyo's Next Target is Park Neung-hoo? ... Intense 'Blitz' from the United Future Party (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Following the resignation of Hong Ik-pyo, the spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, over his remarks about the "Daegu lockdown," controversy has escalated with statements from Park Neung-hoo, the Minister of Health and Welfare, putting the Democratic Party in a difficult position. The United Future Party is launching fierce attacks demanding Minister Park's resignation.

Shim Jae-cheol, floor leader of the United Future Party, urged on the 27th, "President Moon Jae-in must immediately dismiss Park Neung-hoo, the incompetent and lying Minister of Health and Welfare."

Shim criticized Minister Park's remarks made the previous day at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee meeting. Park stated, "The biggest cause of the COVID-19 spread is Koreans who came from China," which sparked public outrage.

He said, "That brazenness is unbearable to witness," and criticized, "The health official shifted the responsibility for the worsening situation onto the people." He added, "Minister Park even lied by saying that the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases did not recommend a complete entry ban from all of China. President Moon must immediately dismiss Minister Park."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Seong Il-jong, spokesperson for the United Future Party floor, also held a press conference at the National Assembly Press Hall on the same day, stating, "Yesterday at the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Minister Park made a shocking remark treating the public like a virus by saying the biggest cause of the COVID-19 crisis is Koreans returning from China," and criticized, "Isn't Minister Park a minister of China?"

He added, "President Moon should dismiss Minister Park and apologize to the frightened public," and urged, "Stop being stubborn and impose a complete entry ban on foreigners coming from China."

Spokesperson Seong also pointed out that Minister Park's response to Representative Jeong Jeong-sik's question at the committee, stating, "From a medical perspective, the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases is a more authoritative group of experts than the Korean Medical Association," and "The Infectious Diseases Society did not recommend a complete entry ban from all of China," was perjury.

He noted that the government advisory released by the Infectious Diseases Society on the 2nd included the statement, "Restricting entry only from Hubei Province is insufficient. Control of entry from high-risk countries is necessary until the epidemic in neighboring countries is controlled." Spokesperson Seong said, "Anyone can find this by searching news articles on portal sites," and questioned, "Who is the lie told by a cabinet member appearing before the National Assembly for, when the answer given was factually incorrect?"