"President Lee Must Disclose His Activities 'Down to the Second' as He Claimed... 25-Hour Gap After Fire"

"If evidence emerges again, will you confess?"

Joo Jinwoo, People Power Party member. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Joo Jinwoo, a member of the People Power Party, has repeatedly called on President Lee Jaemyung to fully disclose all his activities in relation to the unprecedented administrative paralysis caused by the fire at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS).

On October 6, Joo Jinwoo raised further questions on his social media, stating, "When was the residence refrigerator removed, and when did you read the script for 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator'?" He expressed his continued doubts, saying that the president's schedule and the presidential office's explanations after the fire do not make sense.

Joo Jinwoo pointed out, "The NIRS fire that began on the evening of the 26th was only extinguished after a 22-hour struggle at 6 p.m. on the 27th. On the 27th, the presidential office did nothing except send out a single text message around 09:39 stating that 'the president received reports throughout the night.' On the following day, the 28th, at 10:50, it is said that a closed-door meeting was held with only presidential aides present, but there is a 25-hour gap with no information until then."

Preview of JTBC variety show "Please Take Care of My Refrigerator" featuring President Lee Jae-myung. JTBC YouTube

He continued, "On the 27th, when the entire system of the Republic of Korea was burning, there was not a single explanation of what the president was doing. When exactly was the residence refrigerator removed for 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator,' and was there really no filming at the residence? When did he read the script for the show, and if he stayed up all night on the 26th, when did he sleep? As Lee Jaemyung himself once pointed out as mayor of Seongnam, the president has a duty to disclose his activities to the public down to the second."

Finally, Joo Jinwoo argued that, just as President Lee Jaemyung insisted when he accused former President Park Geunhye as mayor of Seongnam, if the truth is concealed, even a sitting president should be investigated. He added, "Stop playing twenty questions and frustrating the public. Disclose the president's schedule and detailed filming schedule for the 27th. And will you only confess if evidence comes out?"

In response, the Democratic Party of Korea denounced these claims as "false agitation and divisive politics." Baek Seungah, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, stated in a written briefing, "Even amid urgent situations such as the NIRS fire, the president directly chaired emergency response meetings and Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meetings, took command of the situation, conducted on-site inspections, and discussed measures to prevent recurrence. At the same time, he prepared for a broadcast to connect with the public and promote K-food." She continued, "The actions of the People Power Party, which has resorted to protests and called the Lee Jaemyung administration a 'dictatorship' and 'invalid election' even though it launched without a transition committee, are a textbook example of far-right politics that engages only in political strife even in times of national crisis."

She added, "No matter how much the People Power Party tries to shake up the political landscape with strife and falsehoods, the Democratic Party will respond by focusing on people's livelihoods, reform, the truth, and enhancing the national brand through cultural diplomacy. Even now, the People Power Party must stop the political strife and join in efforts to restore livelihoods and achieve national unity as demanded by the public during Chuseok. If not, history and the law will hold them strictly accountable for their actions."