Joo Ho-young's 'Body Search' Sparks Opposition's "Blatant Insult" and "Is This 'Jaeinsanseong'?"
Blue House Responds, "Followed Guidelines"
Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, is attending a party meeting held at the National Assembly on the 28th and delivering an opening remark. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] On the 28th, Joo Ho-young, the floor leader of the People Power Party, was subjected to a body search by the Blue House Security Office, sparking a political dispute between the ruling and opposition parties.
The Democratic Party of Korea stated that Floor Leader Kim Tae-nyeon also underwent identity verification to prevent fairness controversies, but the People Power Party repeatedly expressed regret, saying that Floor Leader Joo did not even receive a pass in the first place. As the controversy escalated, the Blue House Security Office said, "It was according to work guidelines," but expressed regret for not showing flexibility.
On the same day, Bae Hyun-jin, the floor spokesperson for the People Power Party, claimed in a message sent to reporters in the afternoon, "Like Floor Leader Kim, (Floor Leader Joo) revealed his name and position as floor leader, but despite this, a separate identity verification method was demanded, and a body search was conducted arbitrarily without consent."
He also stated that after reviewing the National Assembly's closed-circuit television (CCTV), "The body search occurred in a blind spot in front of the Speaker's office, making verification impossible," and added, "However, it was confirmed that no 'pass' was delivered in the first place, as the incident happened while entering together under the guidance of an administrative office staff member."
Furthermore, Spokesperson Bae emphasized, "It is a shared understanding that identity verification is exempted as a matter of custom. We express deep regret that the protocol security guidelines for the president and party leaders were applied only to the opposition leader without prior notice."
Earlier that morning, Floor Leader Joo was subjected to a body search by a Blue House Security Office staff member while attending a preliminary meeting with President Moon Jae-in.
Despite revealing his identity, Floor Leader Joo did not attend the meeting after the body search was conducted. He held a party meeting immediately after President Moon's policy speech at the National Assembly plenary session and pointed out, "The president visiting the National Assembly means listening to the representatives of the people, but it is absurd to block access and even more absurd to treat the opposition floor leader as a subject for a search."
Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, is attending a party meeting held at the National Assembly on the 28th, greeting fellow lawmakers. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
Criticism continued from the opposition party. Jeong Jin-seok, a People Power Party lawmaker and former Secretary-General of the National Assembly, wrote on his Facebook on the same day, "Even when I was Secretary-General, there was no precedent of body searches or restrictions when the president had tea time with party leadership," calling it "a blatant insult to the legislature."
Choi Hyung-doo, floor spokesperson for the People Power Party, also raised his voice in a statement, saying, "There has never been a president who blocked the opposition floor leader with the security team," and added, "Is the opposition floor leader's access to the meeting a 'Great Wall' or 'Moon Fortress'? The people are experiencing a 'country they have never experienced before.'"
As the controversy grew, Kwon Hyuk-ki, secretary to the Democratic Party floor leader, stated that Floor Leader Kim also underwent identity verification. He announced, "According to direct confirmation with Floor Leader Kim, the Blue House Security Office conducted identity verification, including confirming his identity and whether he received a pass, upon entering the preliminary meeting venue." However, since Floor Leader Joo revealed that he never received a 'pass' from the start, the controversy is expected to continue.
In response to the controversy, the Blue House Security Office issued a statement saying, "According to security work guidelines that exempt searches for the top five officials and party leaders, Floor Leader Joo, who was not exempt, was searched. However, it is regrettable that the on-site personnel did not exercise flexibility."
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