Hanbok and Chef Uniforms Highlighted as Issues
Using Various Props for Questioning
"Enhance Communication" vs "Political Satire"
The first week of the 22nd National Assembly's inaugural state audit saw fierce competition among lawmakers to attract attention with unique outfits, props, and demonstrations, ranging from school cafeteria cooks' uniforms to videos superimposing their faces onto American actor Dwayne Johnson.
Kim Jae-won, a member of the Joguk Innovation Party (left), and Jung Hye-kyung, a member of the Progressive Party, are wearing hanbok and chef uniforms respectively at the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee and the Environment and Labor Committee's audit held at the National Assembly on the 10th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
According to political circles on the 12th, Jinbo Party lawmaker Jeong Hye-gyeong appeared at the Environment and Labor Committee's state audit on the 10th dressed as a cafeteria cook. Lawmaker Jeong wore an apron, rubber gloves, a hat, and boots to highlight the issues of low wages and intense labor faced by cafeteria kitchen workers.
On the front of her laptop were phrases such as "Six people making 100 servings, black-and-white cook" and "Cafeteria kitchen workers handling up to 214 people per person." A National Assembly staff member mistook Jeong Hye-gyeong for an outsider and tried to block her entry, leading to a commotion when she explained, "I am a lawmaker."
On the same day, Kim Jae-won of the Party for National Innovation wore traditional hanbok, including a sky-blue jeogori and purple skirt, to the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee's state audit. He questioned Choi Eung-cheon, head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, about waiving admission fees to palaces for hanbok wearers. Comparing his hanbok with a modified version, he emphasized, "While revitalizing hanbok is important, it is also essential to preserve and promote our traditional values in their original form."
The process of creating a deepfake video by merging the face of Lee Sang-hwi, a member of the People Power Party, with that of American actor Dwayne Johnson in just one minute. [Image source: Office of Lee Sang-hwi, Member of the People Power Party]
On the 7th, the first day of the state audit, Lee Sang-hwi of the People Power Party demonstrated a deepfake video titled "Dwayne Sang-hwi," which superimposed his face onto American actor Dwayne Johnson, at the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee's state audit. The video was created to raise awareness about deepfake videos, which can be produced in as little as one minute, and related crimes. Lee said, "I have no technical experience. I just clicked on a free AI exchange service on Google and matched my face to Dwayne Johnson's. It only took a few tens of seconds."
On the following day, June 8th, Lee Jeong-heon of the Democratic Party also demonstrated a deepfake video at the Ministry of Science and ICT building during the committee's audit. The video, which Lee said he made in 30 seconds, showed his face superimposed onto characters from the movies Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and The Man from Nowhere.
On the afternoon of the 11th, Lee Byung-jin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, asked Kwon Jae-han, the Administrator of the Rural Development Administration, about the death of honeybees during the National Assembly inspection held by the Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. Before his question, he held up almonds, lettuce, and honey, asking what their commonality was. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Unique props also caught attention. On the 7th, Park Deok-heum of the People Power Party brought a head of napa cabbage to the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs and Fisheries Committee's audit and pointed out the soaring price of cabbage to Minister Song Mi-ryeong of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. On the same day, Lee Byung-jin of the Democratic Party held up two raw eggs and asked Minister Song, "Guess which one is grade one."
At the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs and Fisheries Committee's audit on the 8th, Moon Geum-ju of the Democratic Party brought a container filled with wild abalone and questioned Coupang Executive Director Joo Seong-won about the indiscriminate sale of seafood during the fishing ban season. On the same day, Lee Byung-jin of the Democratic Party brought a lottery drum shaped like the sea to the committee's audit and ordered Minister Kang Do-hyung of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to draw a paper from inside. The papers inside were labeled with radioactive substances from the Fukushima nuclear plant's contaminated water, such as "Plutonium-239" and "Manganese-54." Lee pointed out that Tokyo Electric Power Company has designated 30 radioactive substances for measurement, but the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' radiation analysis equipment can only test for eight substances.
The use of various props by lawmakers during the state audit appears to be aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of their questions while also attracting public interest. However, some voices argue that focusing solely on capturing attention rather than deepening the substance of the inquiries is not desirable.
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