"Because that's a frame created by the left"... Joo Jinwoo Refuses to Publicly Apologize to Lydia Ko

“I can apologize if I meet her in private.”

Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party, who alleged that Kim Hye-kyung, spouse of President Lee Jae-myung, played what he called “emperor-style golf” with professional golfer Lydia Ko, refused to issue a public apology despite Ko’s denial. Joo said he could apologize if he met Ko privately, but argued that demands for a public apology were a political attack.

People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jinwoo holds a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center on the 27th, calling for an investigation by a special inspector into allegations surrounding Kim Hyekyung's golf outing. 2026.10.27 Photo by Yoon Dongju

During a live broadcast on his YouTube channel on Oct. 27, Joo said, “I raised the issue because I was uncomfortable with scenes that looked like ‘emperor-style golf,’ with a professional golfer accompanying her or giving her lessons. They’re twisting the point and saying I should apologize to the professional golfer.” He added, “If I meet [Lydia Ko] in private, I can certainly apologize.”

Joo argued that demands for a public apology were obscuring the substance of the allegations he had raised. “Why won’t I [apologize]? Because that’s a frame created by the left,” he said. “It’s as if, if I apologize, that means I admit I did something wrong, and because I admitted wrongdoing, every issue I raised will be buried.”

Joo Jinwoo, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, posted a video on Facebook on the 26th showing a person believed to be Mrs. Kim Hyekyung practicing golf. The video was shared on Joo's Facebook page.

On Oct. 26, Joo posted a video of a person believed to be Kim on his social media. “On the 20th, the day 19 people were affected by the fire in Yeoksam-dong, Mrs. Kim played emperor-style golf accompanied by a famous professional golfer,” he said. “They enjoyed a three-person round at Taereung Country Club (CC), and even opened the presidential-only emperor-style clubhouse.”

He continued, “A field lesson with a world-class professional golfer costs tens of millions of won. Who paid for it?” He added, “One man also played golf, and the Lee Jae-myung family’s private use of military facilities is a crime.”

However, Lydia Ko responded on social media, saying, “The report published today is not true and has nothing whatsoever to do with me.” She said she had attended an official event hosted by a sponsor on Oct. 20, the day the allegations concerned, and that she would take legal action over the spread of false information. The Blue House also immediately rejected the related allegations as false.

Joo later removed the portion featuring Lydia Ko’s photo from the video he had posted. However, he did not issue a separate correction notice. He described his reference to Ko as “partly inaccurate.”

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