Joo Jin-woo Asks Unnecessary Question to Lee Jun-seok, "Do You Have a Girlfriend?"... Netizens Criticize as "Typical Old-fashioned" and "Low-level Question"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Broadcaster Joo Jin-woo has sparked controversy by asking personal questions such as "Are you single?" and "Do you have a girlfriend?" to Lee Jun-seok, the newly elected leader of the People Power Party, during a radio interview. Not only did these questions not align with the interview's purpose of hearing the party leader's thoughts and determination upon election, but it was also criticized as inappropriate to ask personal questions in a public setting.
On the 11th, Joo conducted an interview with Lee via phone call on his show, KBS Radio's 'Joo Jin-woo Live.'
Joo introduced Lee by saying, "Let's hear your determination on how you will turn this party into a typhoon," and "You caused a whirlwind and quickly captured the conservative party's core support."
However, midway through the interview, Joo suddenly asked Lee, "Are you currently single?" This came up while discussing the election of the People Power Party's Supreme Council members, including Jo Soo-jin, Bae Hyun-jin, Kim Jae-won, and Jung Mi-kyung, three of whom are women.
When Lee answered "Yes," Joo followed up with, "Do you have a girlfriend?" When Lee responded, "You shouldn't keep asking such personal questions," Joo insisted, "Still, as the party leader, it's a matter of interest," but Lee declined to answer, saying, "I am now a public figure." Only then did Joo say, "I won't ask anymore," and moved on to the next question.
However, Joo's inappropriate questions did not stop there. He asked questions largely unrelated to political issues, such as "Do you receive a salary as the leader?", "Do you get a company car?", and "Is there a corporate credit card?"
Lee Jun-seok, the newly appointed leader of the People Power Party, is commuting to the National Assembly for the first time on the morning of the 13th by riding a Ddareungi bike from National Assembly Station. / Photo by Yonhap News
Netizens who watched the broadcast poured criticism on Joo.
One netizen said, "This was a chance to ask what kind of politics the party leader will pursue, but he asked personal or unimportant questions, which was displeasing," adding, "Nowadays, asking someone's age or personal questions is very sensitive and can be considered rude, so I was surprised to see such questions asked so casually."
Other netizens also reacted with comments like "The level of questions is low," "Isn't asking those kinds of questions typical of an old-fashioned person?", and "The questions show very poor gender sensitivity."
Meanwhile, Lee was elected as the youngest party leader in the People Power Party's convention. He received 37.41% of the delegate votes, 58.76% in the public opinion poll conversion, and a combined total of 43.82%. This is the first time in constitutional history that a person in their 30s has been elected leader of a major party, including conservative parties.
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