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| Minor opposition Justice Party Chairwoman Rep. Sim Sang-jung, right, and Rep. Ryu Ho-jeong engage in recovery efforts at the scene of the landslide caused by recent torrential rains in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. / Yonhap |
By Park Han-sol
It has been almost customary for politicians to visit regions damaged by natural disasters to receive briefings from local government heads and engage in some recovery work.
Such practices ― and subsequent media coverage ― have sparked controversy over their sincerity and effectiveness.
Minor opposition Justice Party Chairwoman Rep. Sim Sang-jung posted on Facebook, Friday, about her party members' visit to a farm in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, which was destroyed by heavy rainfall and a landslide. She expressed concerns about visiting the affected region, saying she was aware of politicians' limits in offering practical help at the scene. Still she stated that "we worked hard to provide even the slightest consolation to the devastated victims."
A series of pictures that Sim posted showed her and other party members engaging in recovery efforts and drinking coffee during a break.
Other lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) made similar visits to afflicted areas over the weekend to hear briefings from municipal heads and take part in recovery operations, including former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, UFP interim chief Kim Chong-in and UFP floor leader Joo Ho-young.
Their visits and recovery work, however, are not being welcomed by the public, who say the politicians do not provide much help and actually hinder the recovery efforts of public officials and affected residents.
Those critical of the lawmakers claim that instead of attempting to gain media exposure through "charity acts," they should "fulfill their duties at the National Assembly."
Regarding Sim's Facebook post, a number of comments condemned her for the insincerity of her actions, claiming she did it simply for the media attention. Heavy criticism led Sim to take down the pictures in the end.
"I think politicians mainly do this for show and are actually getting in the way of recovery efforts," said Lee Ji-young, a graduate student in her 20s. "They do not have technical skills or knowledge necessary at the scene and merely pretend to be helpful."
"Lawmakers should not be people who take photos of themselves pretending to work in flood-hit areas, but people who should make laws and policies that can prevent flood damage. They are not fulfilling their duties," one internet user wrote on a portal site, Monday.
"If you really want to help the people (who lost their homes and other properties), you should stay there for about a week and give help, not stay a couple of hours for a photo op," another user wrote.
But some responded positively to such activities.
"There is certainly a positive aspect, mainly because when politicians visit an affected region, the media accordingly pay attention to that place. This is especially important since Korea is often criticized for being a Seoul Republic, meaning the rest of the country is far from the spotlight compared to the capital city," a Seoul resident surnamed Kim, 26, told The Korea Times.
