Jeong Jeomsik: "Blue House only needs to clarify whether First Lady played golf"... Special inspector's first task

Professional golfer named by Joo: "The allegation is completely unfounded"; Presidential office also calls it "the spread of false information"

People Power Party Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik said on the 27th regarding allegations raised by Assemblyman Joo Jin-woo about Mrs. Kim Hye-kyung’s golfing, “The presidential office only needs to clarify whether Mrs. Kim played golf or not,” adding, “I urge Special Inspector Choi Gil-su to ensure that not a single suspicion remains as his first task.”

People Power Party Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik delivers opening remarks at a parliamentary audit strategy meeting at the National Assembly on Oct. 27, 2026. Photo by Yoon Dongju

Jeong made the remarks at an audit strategy meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, saying, “The core of the issue is that it was the president’s family, not the president, who privately used Taereung CC, a golf course on a military facility, but the presidential office is not clarifying the facts.”

Earlier, Assemblyman Joo alleged that Mrs. Kim played golf at Taereung CC on the 20th, accompanied by a professional golfer. The golfer in question, however, denied the allegation as false on social media. The presidential office also said, “We will hold those who spread false information strictly accountable.”

Regarding the matter, Jeong said, “The presidential office threatened the media, saying that reporting on the matter while quoting Assemblyman Joo constituted the spread of false information. This is media control and a reporting directive that would be seen only in a dictatorship.” He added, “The ruling party also joined in, blocking Assemblyman Joo when he tried to play related footage at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.”

Jeong also responded to the Democratic Party of Korea’s decision to file a complaint against Assemblyman Joo for spreading false information, saying, “It is a farce for the Democratic Party to talk about the spread of false information.” He added, “The party’s history is itself a history of spreading false information, from the Byeongpung scandal and rumors about mad cow disease to agitation over Fukushima nuclear wastewater.”

Referring to the controversy as the first matter for newly appointed Special Inspector Choi Gil-su to review, Jeong said, “Special Inspector Choi said during his commute to work that he would uphold political neutrality and independence in carrying out his duties to the very end. Now he must prove that resolve.”

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