Some Reporters Visiting the Open Briefing Room Told "You Must Stop by the Public Relations Office to Greet"
"Existing Reporters Dislike Those Who Enter Without Notice"... Even Sowing Discord
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] "If you come in here without saying anything, the existing reporters don't like it." "If you want to greet, you should come to the Public Relations Department to do so."
On the 14th, at the briefing room of Hapcheon County Office in Gyeongnam, a bizarre incident occurred where the head of the Public Relations Department arbitrarily categorized the reporters and insisted that they must stop by the Public Relations Office to greet before entering the briefing room.
After being criticized by the press corps, the head of the Public Relations Department lowered his tone somewhat, saying "There was a problem with the communication method," but he refused to issue an official apology, leading to rumors of a 'power-abusing department head' inside and outside the county office.
The trigger for the controversy that day was the first remark made by the head of the Public Relations Department to a reporter from a certain media outlet who was writing articles in the county office briefing room, which anyone can visit.
The head of the Public Relations Department frowned as if the briefing room was a space for specific people, saying to the reporter who visited the county office after a long time, "If you come in here without saying anything, the existing reporters don't like it." In response, another reporter on behalf of the said reporter said, "I came to greet since it has been a while," to which the head of the Public Relations Department replied, "If you want to greet, you should come to the Public Relations Department to do so."
Another visiting reporter, bewildered by this atmosphere, asked, "Sir, what do you mean by that?" The head of the Public Relations Department left the place hastily without saying anything. Later, regarding the press corps' formal apology request, he maintained his stance, saying, "There was a problem with the communication method, but that was not the intention," "I apologized through another reporter, and I will explain sufficiently when you visit the Public Relations Department next time."
Criticism has arisen that the head of the Public Relations Department's behavior that day stemmed from his usual habit of dividing reporters based on whether they are from Hapcheon or not, and the controversy has not subsided.
As the briefing room incident became known inside and outside the county office, voices have risen saying, "It seems like a glimpse of Hapcheon County's public communication method," and "If they are dividing the media into favorable and unfavorable ones, this is a serious problem."
There are also talks that Hapcheon County's reckless public communication method is connected to major projects promoted by County Governor Moon Jun-hee, such as the new town construction project that changes the linear shape of Hwanggang River, the lifeline of Hapcheon, into a straight line, hotel construction projects, and the creation of a clean energy convergence power complex.
If Governor Moon's bulldozer-style administration, which handles large regional tasks that can change Hapcheon's future, proceeds with mutual communication, he would be regarded as a governor with drive and breakthrough power. However, if it goes toward one-sided administration, it can only be perceived as 'showcase administration' or budget spending for 'performance accumulation.'
In this regard, the conduct of the head of the Public Relations Department, who should be at the forefront of collecting opinions on various administrative matters of Hapcheon County, is generally evaluated as a point to be reconsidered not just as a simple incident or disgrace but also for the success of the nearly two years remaining in the 7th local government term.
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