Ahn bumped from WHO briefing

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo accused the government Saturday of allegedly controlling information about Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), hours after he was denied entrance to a press conference given by World Health Organization (WHO) experts.

His comment prompted debate over whether the lawmaker’s uninvited appearance at the news conference was appropriate.

“I felt a sense that the government, which is responsible for the spread of the virus following its failure to controlling it, strives to block public access to information,” he said in a posting on his twitter account. “As a lawmaker, I must hold them responsible.”

The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) lawmaker attempted to enter the health ministry headquarters in Sejong to attend the press conference.

The international health experts presented their findings as part of a trip to Korea following the MERS outbreak.

Rep. Ahn was stopped by health ministry officials who said they were told by the WHO to only allow access to members of the press.

Ahn listened to remarks from the WHO officials remarks outside the venue.

Ahn, who graduated from Seoul National University medical school, claimed that he checked with the health authorities a day ago and heard that the news conference was open to the public. So, he said, he didn’t take “any measures” before heading to the venue.

“I stood outside the venue during the news briefing without insisting that I be there because if I did that, I am afraid they might have felt intruded on,” he said.

But the lawmaker complained about the briefing, saying their findings were “very disappointing.”

“They concluded that the Korean government took all necessary measures. That’s all,” he said. “I don’t understand why they held the news conference on Saturday when print journalists don’t work because no editions are published on Sundays. I am also wondering why they prevented me, a lawmaker and a member of the National Assembly Health Committee, from entering the venue.”

Some commentators said it was inappropriate for a lawmaker like Ahn to show up at such a venue without an announcement.

Some speculate that Ahn, once a presidential hopeful, might have felt pressure to act after witnessing a surge in popularity for his one-time political partner Park Won-soon after he gave a press conference in which he criticized the government for allegedly concealing information about MERS.

Public opinion surveys showed that Park’s rating surged following his news conference and he topped a survey showing support for presidential hopefuls.

Before Park’s MERS midnight briefing, he was behind Reps. Kim Moo-sung of the ruling Saenuri Party and Moon Jae-in of the NPAD.