Joo Jin-woo alleges President Lee played golf during Navy search

South Korean lawmaker Joo Jin-woo has raised allegations regarding President Lee Jae-myung’s whereabouts during a critical search operation for a missing Navy sailor in July. Joo claims that CCTV footage from the vicinity of Taereung Country Club shows a motorcade of security vehicles entering the facility at 11:23 AM and departing at 8:30 PM on July 12.

According to Joo, this timeframe coincides with a period when the Navy and Coast Guard were conducting a large-scale search for a sailor missing near the Northern Limit Line. The sailor was eventually found deceased approximately 21 hours after the search began. Joo argued that the President was playing golf and dining at the club during the 'golden time' of the search operation, asserting that such actions are inconsistent with the responsibilities of a commander-in-chief.

During a recent parliamentary interpellation, Joo noted that four consecutive tee times at the club's Hwarang course were vacant starting at 11:47 AM that day. While Joo has demanded the full disclosure of the President's schedule and payment records, Prime Minister Han Seong-sook responded that the allegations were speculative and that she did not have access to the President's private schedule. The Blue House has previously stated it cannot confirm the President's private itinerary.