PPP urges Cheong Wa Dae to clarify first lady's golf allegations

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has called on the presidential office to provide clarification regarding allegations surrounding First Lady Kim Hea Kyung's participation in private golf lessons. PPP spokesman Jeong Jeom-sig stated that the Cheong Wa Dae should investigate the facts behind these allegations, which were initially reported by PPP lawmaker Joo Jin-woo.

The incident in question occurred on October 20th at Taereung Golf Club in northern Seoul, just a day after a man in his seventies set fire to two buildings in southern Seoul, injuring five people severely and 14 others with minor injuries. Cheong Wa Dae swiftly dismissed Joo's claims as "groundless" and cautioned the media against reporting the allegations without due diligence.

The PPP leader dismissed the presidential office's characterization of media reports as disseminating false information, labeling it as a form of media control akin to that seen in dictatorial regimes. Furthermore, the leader criticized Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Young-kyo, who chairs the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, for preventing Joo from presenting a video allegedly showing the First Lady playing golf during a committee meeting on Monday.

Responding to these statements, PPP Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun questioned the nature of the alleged falsehoods, asking what precisely Cheong Wa Dae considers false: the fact that golf was played, the claim that the lessons were received from a professional golfer, or the allegation of special treatment.