Throwing Away Trash, Standing in Line, Kneeling Down... Secretary Chief Reveals 'Jo Guk's Daily Life'

Revealing Daily Photos Amid Character Controversy
Netizens Show Diverse Reactions to the Photos

Jo Yong-woo, Chief Secretary to the Party Leader of the Joguk Innovation Party, defended Party Leader Jo Guk against criticisms of 'hypocrisy' and being a 'Gangnam leftist,' saying "He is not that kind of person," and released photos of Jo's daily life. In the photos posted by Chief Secretary Jo, Party Leader Jo is seen personally cleaning up trash and trays, kneeling on the ground to sign autographs for children, and standing in line at a train station.

Chief Secretary Jo Yong-woo posted on his social networking service (SNS) on the 18th, "There are many people trying to find faults, and for those who have absurd prejudices against Representative Cho due to witch hunts by some media and far-right YouTubers, I have prepared a bundle," and released six photos. [Photo by Jo Yong-woo, Chief Secretary of the Jo Guk Innovation Party Facebook]

Earlier, the Joguk Innovation Party passed a resolution banning domestic business class air travel during parliamentary sessions. However, Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party, posted on his social media account earlier this month a record of Party Leader Jo's business class flight, writing, "Who is the person who took the business class seat on this flight?" along with the hashtag "Hypocrisy_GOAT." GOAT stands for "greatest of all time," referring to the best player in history.

In response, Chief Secretary Jo posted on his SNS on the 18th, saying, "There are many people trying to find faults, and for those who have absurd prejudices about Party Leader Jo due to witch hunts by some media and far-right YouTubers, I have prepared a bundle," and released six photos. He stated, "For those who say these are staged photos, you can continue to think that way," adding, "I have been going to Party Leader Jo's residence almost every morning for over two months, and although sometimes he comes down carrying trash or luggage in the morning, he never hands it over to me or the aide."

He continued, "When eating at rest stops, he has never asked others to carry his tray, and when lining up for trains or planes, he has never cut in line or entered from the side first," emphasizing, "He even stands in the economy line holding a business class ticket, which makes me wonder if he has some kind of cleanliness obsession." He added, "When taking photos with children or signing autographs, he kneels on the ground to match their height and make eye contact," concluding, "I have no intention of clinging to power for a living. At the very least, I do not serve anyone who lacks character or dignity worthy of my respect."

Regarding the photos released by the Chief Secretary, netizens responded with comments such as "Those who have observed him for a long time know what kind of person he is," "His manners and dignity are tremendous," and "You can feel his character just by looking at the photos." On the other hand, some netizens criticized, saying, "Did he post this to get praise for something obvious?" and "Is it special if Jo Guk does what everyone does in their daily lives?"