[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] Kwon Young-jin, mayor of Daegu, collapsed and was transported to a hospital after having an argument with some city council members over the issue of emergency livelihood fund payments during a Daegu City Council meeting.
According to Daegu City and the City Council on the 26th, Mayor Kwon attended a special session of the City Council at 2 p.m. that day to discuss the budget related to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).
During the special session, which lasted for one hour and thirty minutes, Mayor Kwon had an argument with some city council members over the issue of emergency livelihood fund payments. One council member criticized Mayor Kwon, asking, "Why don’t you provide the emergency livelihood funds in cash?" to which Mayor Kwon responded, "Please don’t do this."
As the protest continued, Mayor Kwon grabbed the back of his neck with his right hand and collapsed. Immediately after he collapsed, a Daegu City Hall official carried Mayor Kwon to the mayor’s office on the second floor of City Hall, and then called a 119 ambulance to transport him to Kyungpook National University Hospital.
Earlier that morning, Mayor Kwon apologized for leaving the Daegu City Council special session the previous day, saying, "It’s because I am very lacking."
During a regular COVID-19 briefing that morning, Mayor Kwon said, "There are many times when I am not in my right mind. My body is almost at its limit," and added, "I have been living on a field bed in my office for over 30 days, so I am mentally very tired. I ask for your understanding."
On the 25th, during the special session, Lee Jin-ryeon, a city council member from the Democratic Party of Korea, stood up and left the meeting room while urging the prompt execution of emergency livelihood support in response to COVID-19.
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