Governor says he's willing to show up for questioning over Jamboree

Governor Kim Kwan-young saiys he will fight for the honor of his province, North Jeolla. Yet he continues argue that North Jeolla isn't the only one at fault and that everyone should feel responsible for the messes.

North Jeolla Governor Kim Kwan-young at a meeting with lawmakers from Jeolla provinces held at the National Assembly on Thursday. [YONHAP]

North Jeolla Governor Kim Kwan-young said he will show up at the National Assembly for questioning by lawmakers regarding the mishandling of the World Scout Jamboree and other related allegations against the provincial government.

"I am willing to attend whenever I am called in," Kim said Thursday at the National Assembly in Seoul, where he met with politicians from his home province. "North Jeolla should not be unfairly condemned."

However, he emphasized that, at this juncture, everyone should approach the controversy surrounding the World Scout Jamboree as a collective responsibility.

"We cannot solve the problem if everyone shirks their responsibility," Kim asserted.

The North Jeolla governor stressed his commitment to upholding the honor of his province, highlighting the need for unity as North Jeolla undergoes development.

On Wednesday, the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee concluded in less than 30 minutes as the People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the hearing. This came after the Democratic Party (DP) refused to summon the North Jeolla governor for questioning about the World Scout Jamboree.

Both parties have blamed each other for the lack of preparedness that marred the World Scout Jamboree held at Saemangeum earlier this month. The event saw many scouts falling ill due to heat exhaustion, inadequate facilities such as toilets and showers, and a severe shortage of food, including rotten eggs and overpriced items at the GS25 convenience store.

The PPP attributed the lack of readiness to the North Jeolla government and the organizing committee, which had five years to prepare under the Moon Jae-in government. On the other hand, the DP pointed fingers at the incumbent Yoon Suk Yeol government for failing to oversee the final preparations responsibly.

The DP, historically supported by the Jeolla provinces, backed up the North Jeolla government.

"We need to assess the issues surrounding the event," said DP Rep. Han Byung-do during the meeting with the North Jeolla governor. "However, North Jeolla is being unfairly blamed and demeaned. Strong actions should be taken against fake news."

PPP Rep. Kweon Seong-dong accused the DP of using the recent questioning of North Jeolla's accountability as a political tactic to turn North Jeolla voters against the conservative party.

"How can criticism of the North Jeolla government be equated with criticism of North Jeolla residents?" Kweon asked on Facebook. "Following that logic, would criticizing the government be the same as belittling the people, or criticizing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family be considered hate speech against women?"

He also accused Governor Kim of attempting to create an illusion that the organizing committee of the World Scout Jamboree and the North Jeolla government are distinct entities.

"He's attempting to create a misleading image, which isn't a proper political approach," Kweon said, adding that the person responsible for executing the budget and related plans was the North Jeolla governor.

"Nearly half of the individuals in the organizing committee are appointed by the North Jeolla government or are public employees of smaller district or county governments in North Jeolla," he said.

Governor Kim of the North Jeolla government held a press conference on Monday, saying that while he would shoulder responsibility as the head of the provincial government, North Jeolla shouldn’t accept all of the blame. He said that the organizing committee and the central government, including the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, were also at fault.

The governor also pointed to social media, noting that participants posted images on their social platforms or sent them to their parents whenever issues arose.

The PPP submitted a proposal to penalize DP Rep. Kim Han-kyu to the National Assembly office. The DP lawmaker had said that Busan's chances of winning the bid for the 2030 World Expo were slim due to the Yoon Suk Yeol government's handling of the World Scout Jamboree.

The comment was made on August 9 during a radio show appearance. The PPP accused the DP legislator of demoralizing the citizens of Busan and others who are striving to secure the bid, with the final decision set for November.

"If he had offered an apology, it might not have escalated to this point," PPP Rep. Jeon Bong-min said.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]