청 "Party floor leaders are not exempt from 'search exemption'... Regret"

Security Office "Followed Security Work Guidelines"
"Created by Previous Government"

President Moon Jae-in is entering the plenary hall on the 28th to deliver the 2021 budget address at the National Assembly. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

On the 28th, Joo Ho-young, the floor leader of the People Power Party, attempted to have a conversation with President Moon Jae-in at the National Assembly but was subjected to a 'body search' by Blue House security guards. In response, the opposition party strongly protested, while the Blue House stated that "floor leaders of political parties are not exempt from searches."

The Presidential Security Service issued a statement that day, saying, "According to security operation guidelines, it is standard procedure to search all attendees at external events."

The Security Service clarified, "For National Assembly events, the protocol follows the Blue House main building event standards, where searches are exempted for the top five officials and party leaders, but floor leaders of political parties are not included in this exemption."

They emphasized, "These security operation guidelines were not established during our current administration but were created during previous governments and have been followed since."

While in some cases floor leaders of political parties have been exempted from searches, the Security Service explained that this did not apply in the current situation.

The Security Service pointed out, "Depending on the security environment, such as when a floor leader enters accompanied by the party leader, exemptions from searches have been customary. However, People Power Party floor leader Joo Ho-young arrived alone at the reception room after the president, the top five officials, and party leaders from both ruling and opposition parties had already entered."

They continued, "At the moment when the president had entered and the conversation was just beginning, a security officer conducted a scan of his upper body according to the guidelines, which led to a protest."

Furthermore, the Security Service expressed regret, stating, "Regarding this controversy, the head of the Security Service expressed disappointment that the on-site security officer did not exercise more discretion."

Meanwhile, President Moon Jae-in's policy speech at the National Assembly that day began amid loud protests and jeers from the opposition. This was due to the Blue House security team questioning and searching floor leader Joo Ho-young as he entered the plenary hall.

Joo Ho-young recounted that when he entered the Speaker's reception room, security guards approached him, and despite him identifying himself as the opposition floor leader, they attempted to search his entire body while he was using his mobile phone.

He pointed out, "I had previously asked difficult questions, and there was a situation where it could be suspected that I intentionally provoked by making difficult remarks on the spot."

Jeong Jin-seok, a member of the National Assembly and former Secretary-General, criticized, "There has never been a precedent of conducting searches or restrictions when the president has tea time with the Speaker or party leaders. Even during President Chun Doo-hwan's era, this was not done."

Although the Blue House Security Service apologized, calling it "a mistake by on-site staff," the People Power Party views the search attempt as intentional and has taken a strong stance, stating they will verify through on-site CCTV footage whether floor leader Kim Tae-nyeon of the Democratic Party of Korea was also subjected to a search.