Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Ji-won. [Yonhap]
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Ji-won. [Yonhap]

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Ji-won pushed back Sunday against opposition attacks over President Lee Jae Myung's holiday golf outing, urging critics to refrain from excessive political criticism.

Park posted a message titled "The President and Golf" on his SNS account Sunday.

In the post, Park referenced American presidents' well-known fondness for golf and wrote, "Golf has become a popular sport in our country too. The president playing golf with family and friends on a day off is relaxation. Exercise and rest are things he absolutely should be doing."

He added, "An accident happened and he was golfing? If he had known in advance about a major accident, he would have prepared for it, not played golf. The president is also a person. No matter how much of a workaholic someone is, rest is necessary."

Park went on to say, "Stop picking fights over the president's holiday golf and look at the beam in your own eye. The president's holiday golf is less than a speck of dust in someone else's eye."

Earlier, People Power Party lawmaker Ju Jin-woo had criticized President Lee for playing golf on Oct. 10, alleging he did so during a major disaster.

Ju wrote on Facebook that he had received an important tip, claiming that "President Lee Jae Myung played golf at Taereung Country Club on Oct. 10 and opened the presidential exclusive clubhouse and was there."

"On the morning of Oct. 10, the presidential security vehicle motorcade headed to Taereung Country Club and left at around 4:49 p.m.," he said, adding that he had secured photos and video footage.

Ju criticized Lee, saying, "I believe President Lee Jae Myung's arrogance knows no bounds. While putting on a show on SNS, was he secretly enjoying imperial golf during a major disaster, hidden from the public? This is already the third time. This time it absolutely cannot be let go."

Pressing further on the government's response to a ceiling collapse incident, Ju demanded that the president "explain minute by minute, second by second, how he responded to the collapse on Oct. 10," and called on him to "tell the public who he played golf with when a soldier went missing, and whether the golf fees were paid with special activity funds."


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