“Can’t Public Officials Play Golf on Their Day Off?” Hong Joon-pyo Disapproves Debate over Golf Tournament

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo extends his greetings at a ceremony to celebrate the special acts on airports in Gwangju and Daegu, which passed in the National Assembly, and to sign an agreement to jointly promote the special act exempting the Dalbit High-speed Railway from a preliminary feasibility study at the Jirisan Service Area on the Gwangju-Daegu Expressway on April 17. Yonhap News

On April 27, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo (Hong Jun-pyo) fought back criticism of a golf tournament for public officials in the Daegu metropolitan government and asked, “Can’t public officials play golf with their own money on their day off?” The city of Daegu will spend a total of 13 million won of the metropolitan government’s budget--including prize money of seven million won--to organize a golf tournament in Changnyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, Hong’s hometown, on May 7.

On Thursday, Hong wrote on his social media account, “People centered on the leftist media are once again picking a fight over the golf tournament for Daegu public officials, where they will participate with their own money on the weekend.” He further asked, “How come it is okay for a public official to play tennis on the weekend, but not golf?”

Mayor Hong argued, “Each time a previous government launched, they restricted golf implicitly and explicitly banning it as a way to strengthen discipline in public office. But the times have changed, and the world has changed.” He said, “If we play golf under our own names while paying for it with our own money, why should we avoid the sport of golf? If we have the ability, then we should be able to play.” However, the Daegu mayor did not mention the fact that 13 million won of the city’s budget would be spent on the golf tournament for public officials.

Hong said, “This time, they’re attacking us about why we are going to a golf course in my hometown,” and explained the reason for choosing the golf course in Changnyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do. He said, “There’s only one golf course in Daegu, the Palgong Country Club, which runs on a membership. We can’t rent the entire course on the weekend.”

Hong claimed, “In the past, golf has been a kind of taboo in the society of public officials, but this time, we are openly shattering this improper taboo,” and repeatedly explained that the tournament was to celebrate the efforts of the public officials who worked hard to get the special acts on new airports passed in the National Assembly.

Hong said, “One shouldn’t be a bad sport, blocking other people from playing golf just because he’s jealous since he doesn’t play,” and argued, “They have nothing better to do, so now they’re picking fights over all kinds of things.”