Kim Minseok's Condolence Visit Car Sparks 'Emergency Zone Parking' Controversy... Kim Taeseon: "It Was Our Vehicle, My Fault"

Visited the hospital at around 8:50 p.m. on the 17th
Vehicle parked in emergency-patient-only area during 30-minute condolence visit

The vehicle parked in a parking area reserved for emergency patients during a condolence visit to a firefighter who died in the line of duty, which was initially believed to belong to Kim Minseok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, was confirmed to be a vehicle assigned to the office of Kim Taeseon, a Democratic Party lawmaker.

At around 12:10 p.m. on October 19, Kim said on Facebook, “The vehicle parked in the emergency-patient-only parking area during the condolence visit to the firefighter who died in the line of duty, as reported by KBS, belongs to my office,” adding, “There is no excuse for my mistake, whatever the reason.”

Earlier, KBS raised concerns that a vehicle apparently carrying political figures’ aides had been parked for about 30 minutes in the emergency-patient-only parking area at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, where the funeral altar for the late Fire Lieutenant Kim Jinseok had been set up.

Kim and other members of the condolence delegation visited the funeral altar for the firefighter who died in the line of duty at around 8:50 p.m. on October 17. The concern was that they had parked in spaces reserved for emergency patients during the visit.

Newsis reported that vehicles carrying other members of the condolence delegation who accompanied Kim were also parked one after another in the area. Aides who got out of the vehicles were reportedly seen talking among themselves or waiting at the scene.

A sign in the parking lot says, “Parking is prohibited for outpatient and inpatient visitors, as this parking lot is reserved for emergency patients.” Even people accompanying emergency patients are instructed to move their vehicles to the underground parking lot after registering the patients.

Before Kim arrived, staff who appeared to be hospital employees moved the traffic cones marking the no-parking area and directed the vehicles where to park. The vehicle reportedly left the reserved parking area at around 9:20 p.m., about seven minutes before Kim finished paying his respects, and waited nearby.

After the aides’ vehicles left, staff at the scene put the safety cones back in front of the parking area.

This prompted controversy over “excessive protocol” for Kim and whether the vehicles had obstructed access for emergency patients. As criticism of Kim mounted, the situation took a different turn when lawmaker Kim, who serves as Kim’s chief of staff, said a day later that the vehicle belonged to his office. The Democratic Party said Kim had traveled in the chief of staff’s vehicle because of his schedule in Busan and other commitments.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.