Reform Party floor leader Cheon Ha-ram on Tuesday criticized allegations that President Lee Jae Myung and Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back played golf at Taereung Country Club while a Navy soldier was missing, saying, "The president can play golf. But hypocrisy is unacceptable."
Cheon said on Facebook that day that sightings of President Lee at Taereung CC continued to be reported, and questioned whether it was not Lee himself — then the Democratic Party leader — and the Democratic Party who had fiercely attacked former President Yoon Suk Yeol for playing golf during emergencies.
Cheon released Taereung CC reservation records obtained from the Armed Forces Welfare Agency under the Defense Ministry, saying that on July 12, four consecutive tee times at the club's Hwarang Course — at 11:54 a.m., 12:01 p.m., 12:08 p.m. and 12:15 p.m. — were entirely vacant.
He added: "At Taereung CC, where even weekday reservations are so competitive they are nearly impossible to get, having four consecutive tee times vacant for about 30 minutes on a weekend is highly unusual." When asked whether the tee times had been deliberately left open and why, officials said their response was "restricted." "What could possibly justify saying a response is restricted when all we are asking is why a golf course was left empty?" he said.
Cheon said that since there were no weather disruptions or internal construction work at the time, the vacant slots could only be seen as having been deliberately cleared for security purposes such as protecting a VIP. He called on the presidential office to stop "playing dumb" and disclose the president's whereabouts to the public.
mp1256@heraldcorp.com
