The Mayor Of Daegu Apologized And Received Criticism For Playing Golf When South Korea Was Hit By Floods

JAKARTA - The Mayor of Daegu, located in North Gyeongsang Province, Hong Joon-pyo, apologized on Wednesday, after drawing criticism for playing golf last weekend, as South Korea grappled with damage from heavy rains.

Hong initially rejected the criticism, arguing he had not made a mistake because there were no reports of damage in Daegu when he was playing golf on Saturday, and he could do whatever he wanted during his free time. He even said he was wondering why tennis was okay and golf was the opposite.

However, his attitude made many people wonder more. The ethics committee of the ruling People's Power Party decided on Tuesday to initiate considerations on the case regarding possible disciplinary action.

"Even though it was a weekend event and there were no violations of the disaster response manual, I respectfully accepted criticism that it was inappropriate to do when the flood damage was feared across the country," Hong told reporters during a visit to the press room at the town hall, reported by the Korea Times July 20.

Hong also said he apologized for not considering public sentiment when explaining the situation "based on principles and facts".

"I sincerely apologize for causing concern to the people who have been harmed by the floods and party members," he said.

Hong played golf for an hour on Saturday. Even though the game was stopped due to rain, critics say it is inappropriate for a civil servant to play golf at a time when the country is struggling to cope with the massive damage caused by heavy rains.

However, Hong stressed that there was no rain in Daegu on Saturday morning and the deputy mayor was responsible for the city's disaster response under a level 2 emergency.

It is known, in a level 2 emergency, relevant officials are required to cancel leave and at least 20 percent of city officials are required to serve.

As previously reported, heavy rains on weekends have killed at least 44 people and six others missing in Ginseng Country.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has designated the 13 areas most severely affected by heavy rains as special disaster zones, including cities and districts in North Gyeongsang Province, North Jeolla Province and North and South Chungcheong Provinces.