Na Kyung-won on lawmakers saying "We will get vaccinated first": "As expected, the level of Moon's loyal party"

Na Kyung-won, preliminary candidate for Seoul mayor from the People Power Party. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-eun] Regarding the controversy over President Moon Jae-in's 'first COVID-19 vaccine inoculation,' Na Kyung-won, the People Power Party's preliminary candidate for the Seoul mayoral by-election, criticized ruling party lawmakers who said, "I would get vaccinated first if it were me," on the 24th, stating, "They still cannot rise above the level of President Moon's loyal party."

On the same day, Na posted on her Facebook, "Since the president himself said that the leader should get vaccinated first, Democratic Party lawmakers have all come out to defend the president," adding, "It's truly an impressive loyalty competition," and pointed out, "I wish they had devoted this earnest loyalty to the people rather than the president."

Na also said, "After raising the atmosphere like this, could it be that President Moon is preparing a 'plot twist event' by getting vaccinated?" and added, "My speculation might be excessive, but since this administration is so good at utilizing events, all sorts of thoughts come to mind."

She further criticized, "This is an administration where the Minister of Justice interrogates the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs as if to ask, 'Why aren't you on our side?'" and said, "How can we hand over Seoul again to an administration that only knows how to divide between 'my side' and 'your side'?"

President Moon Jae-in received guidance from officials on the afternoon of the 18th at Punglim Pharmatech, a production facility for low dead space (LDS) syringes used for COVID-19 vaccinations in Gunsan, Jeonbuk, where he observed a demonstration comparing standard syringes and low dead space syringes. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Earlier, the opposition insisted that President Moon should be the first to receive the AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine, which has been controversial regarding its effectiveness. In response, Democratic Party lawmakers Jung Cheong-rae, Park Ju-min, Ko Min-jung, Lee So-young, and Lee Jae-jung expressed on their social media platforms that they might get vaccinated first as long as it does not disrupt quarantine policies.

Democratic Party lawmaker Ko Min-jung said on the 23rd, "We should not politicize this by dragging the president into it as if people are unable to get vaccinated due to anxiety. Nevertheless, if people ultimately cannot trust the vaccine, I would get vaccinated first." Ahn Cheol-soo, the People’s Party leader and a preliminary candidate for the Seoul mayoral by-election, also stated, "As a politician and a medical professional, I am willing to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine first."

Meanwhile, the government will begin vaccinating residents and workers under the age of 65 at 5,873 nursing hospitals, nursing facilities, and mental care and rehabilitation facilities nationwide starting on the 26th. President Moon, born in 1953, is 68 years old this year, and therefore is currently ineligible to be the first to receive the vaccine.