Ex-lawmaker raises controversy for calling Korea's virus control measures 'totalitarian'

By Ko Dong-hwan

A photo of Hong Jung-wook outside in New York, posted on Facebook, June 27 / Screenshot from Facebook

Hong Jung-wook, an ex-lawmaker, who is now chairman of the food company Organica, has caused a stir after calling Korea's COVID-19 control measures “totalitarian” while praising the speed of the U.S.'s vaccination drive and return to normal daily life in his latest Facebook post.

Hong wrote July 5 that it took him less than five minutes at customs upon arriving in New York to check his health regarding COVID-19 and that wearing a mask was optional.

“The country that has seen the world's highest number of casualties due to COVID-19 is now returning to daily life quickly,” he said. “On the other hand, it takes about an hour to enter Korea. For even vaccinated people like me, they have me write in an app, call me and send me text messages every day, only to hear me say, 'no symptoms.'”

Hong, who served in the National Assembly from 2008-2012, said that Korea's disease control authorities should put more effort into vaccinating citizens instead of into trying to control them. He ended the controversial post by saying that the first thing he would do after the pandemic was over was change his phone number, followed by the hashtag, “#coronatotalitarianism.”

The post had garnered nearly 2,000 likes by the next day. However, some of those who found his post offensive said that he was disregarding the Korean people's united efforts to fight the disease, and that the Facebook post was inappropriate, considering his past prestigious positions.

A person who claimed to be a plastic surgeon criticized Hong with a comment questioning how the Korean government's disease control measures could be regarded merely as a form of “control that has no practical use,” saying that health workers are trying to monitor the risks in real time and save other people's lives.

Another person pointed out that “there are countless public servants and people struggling” in this difficult fight against the global health crisis.

“Have you ever thought about how much more serious human casualties would have been without that 'control that has no practical use?'” another person wrote.