Comedian vs. lawmaker
Comedian Kim Je-dong
Defense committee in battle against comedian
By Kim Bo-eun
A lawmaker’s demand for a comedian to attend the National Assembly audit over a joke he made on a TV show is drawing a barrage of mockery from internet users.
Rep. Baek Seung-joo of the ruling Saenuri Party accused popular comedian Kim Je-dong of defaming the military by using an “inappropriate” word to refer to a general’s wife.
On a TV show in July 2015, Kim cracked a joke that he was confined for 13 days for calling a four-star general’s wife an “ajumma,” a common Korean term referring to a married woman, while he was serving in the military in 1994.
Rep. Baek took issue with the remark and demanded Wednesday the comedian appear as a witness at the National Assembly audit of the defense ministry.
Baek said Kim “tarnished the reputation of the military by making a joke out of untrue statements.”
However, internet users slammed the lawmaker on the defense committee for making an issue out of something so trivial, amid pending issues such as the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) battery and defense sector corruption.
Comments flooded on online news articles, making a joke out of the situation.
“Why are they talking about Kim Je-dong at the government audit? Is it more important than corruption involving weapon procurement?” said a netizen, called Korea***.
“Wouldn’t it be great if lawmakers showed as much enthusiasm to root out corruption in the defense sector?” said a person with the ID cast****.
As the dispute went viral online, Rep. Kim Young-woo of the Saenuri Party and chairman of the National Assembly National Defense Committee, said Friday that he would not call in the comedian.
However, he called on Kim to make a public apology for lying that he was confined for 13 days for calling the general’s wife an “ajumma.” The military said Kim had never been imprisoned during his military service.
Good at cornering
Another comic scene unfolded at the Security and Public Administration Committee audit, Tuesday.
Lawmakers asked the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) why senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Woo Byung-woo’s son was transferred to a relatively easy position during his alternative military service.
“It was because he had exceptional driving skills — he was excellent at cornering,” an SMPA lieutenant answered.
The lieutenant had been the person who gave Woo’s son the driving position.
The junior Woo had only served three months at a guard post at the Seoul Government Complex when he was moved to a driving post for the SMPA’s security chief.
Suspicions arose the police had provided a special favor for the senior presidential secretary as regulations state that transfers are only allowed after four months.
Two days later, the National Police Agency (NPA) chief backed up the SMPA lieutenant’s claim.
“Because not many young people these days are good at driving, it appears (Woo’s son) was brought to the position because he was one of the few people (with good driving skills),” NPA Chief Lee Chul-sung said.
Highly skeptical comments poured in online.
“What an intelligent answer to a stupid question,” a comment by ID bi**** said sarcastically.