[Summary] Jeong Sye-gyun Criticizes "Those Not Attending Meetings"... Lee Jae-myung Retorts "One Hour as Gyeonggi Governor Equals 13.8 Million Hours" Tense Exchange

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Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung fired back at former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, who criticized him by saying, "He doesn't attend Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meetings well, so he doesn't know about vaccines," stating, "One hour of the Gyeonggi Province governor is worth 13.8 million hours." The number '13.8 million' refers to the population of Gyeonggi Province as of last year.

On the 28th, after the opening ceremony of the '2021 Korea Basic Income Expo,' Governor Lee said, "I hope you understand that I spent that time more efficiently and on more urgent matters to improve the lives of 13.8 million residents."

He added, "In boxing, you have to hit your opponent, and hitting the opponent to persuade them that you are better in competition is natural," and said, "It was only part of what he was trying to say to claim he has more capability; would he really have intended to attack me?"

Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Governor Lee, who is mentioned as a ruling party presidential candidate, and former Prime Minister Chung engaged in a war of nerves over the issue of COVID-19 vaccine procurement.

Earlier, former Prime Minister Chung criticized Governor Lee for advocating independent procurement of COVID-19 vaccines by saying he is "someone who does not attend CDSCH meetings well."

In an interview with MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 26th, Chung said, "If you attend the CDSCH, you learn about the government's efforts, the vaccine situation, and the vaccination plan. Once you know these details well, it would be difficult to make such remarks."

Chung also rebutted Governor Lee's criticism of domestic vaccine supply issues, where Lee said, "Measures to protect the lives of the people should be excessive rather than insufficient," during KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs' on the 27th, stating, "That is already being done."

He emphasized, "The government is not being tight but is planning and contracting while considering possible issues. Originally, the plan was to contract for about 40 million doses, which is less than the population, but it gradually increased to 79 million doses and now has risen to 99 million doses."