Yoon Geon-young: "Yoon reported late 10 times a month... Is the police's help with 'fake attendance' a security technique?"

Yoon Geon-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized, saying, "There have been reports that Yoon Seok-yeol was late about 10 times during the month of November," and added, "Shouldn't we consider that he is not a proper, normal public official?"

Assemblyman Yoon Gun-young asking a question. Photo by Yonhap News

Yoon, the Democratic Party's ranking member of the Public Administration and Security Committee, made this remark on the 13th during the full meeting of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, questioning Acting Commissioner Lee Ho-young of the National Police Agency, "Is it a problem if a public official does not arrive by 9 a.m.?"

Yoon asked, "During the month of November, how many times did the Presidential Security Service request police protection from the Hannam-dong residence to the Yongsan office? The official start time is 9 a.m. every morning; were there any instances when no protection was requested at that time?"

Acting Commissioner Lee responded, "Protection is requested continuously whenever there is commuting or movement," and added, "We need to verify the facts, but I believe there were no such cases."

In response, Yoon referred to media reports revealing circumstances where fake or disguised presidential commute vehicles were operated, pointing out, "A fake security vehicle departs at 9 a.m., and sometimes another security vehicle leaves at 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. Does this align with common sense?"

When Acting Commissioner Lee replied, "We mainly manage traffic and wait at the door of the residence, so it is difficult to verify the facts," Yoon countered, "I heard the police even use code words to indicate that fake security vehicles have departed." When Lee acknowledged, "There are code words," Yoon said, "Isn't that exactly fake security? When the president drinks and comes out late, deceiving the public as if he is going to work?what is that?"

After hearing the statement that "disguised security is one of the security techniques," Yoon retorted, "Is helping fake commutes a security technique? If there is a fake commute vehicle in the morning, it should be questioned," and added, "Doing fake commutes about 10 times a month and calling it disguised security? Where are the police who help habitual tardiness to deceive the public?"

Acting Commissioner Lee explained, "Since we cannot know who is in the vehicle, we do not know if it is a fake commute," and added, "Vehicles just come out directly from the residence, and when entering the Presidential Office, we only escort up to the outer door."