Heavy Rain Emergency Duty… Guri Mayor Sings at Company Retreat

At a time when the northern Gyeonggi Province was suffering from heavy rain, it has been revealed that the mayor of Guri attended a company retreat, singing and dancing while city officials were focused on emergency duties.

According to a report by SBS on the 21st, Mayor Baek Kyung-hyun participated in a company retreat that took place at a restaurant in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, around 1:30 PM on the 20th.

In the released video, Mayor Baek is seen passionately singing into a microphone and dancing exuberantly.

Behind him is a banner that reads 'Summer Retreat.' There were also bottles of alcohol on the retreat tables.

All of this occurred on the same day that a flood warning was issued for Guri City.

Guri City Officials on Emergency Duty Since Early Morning

At that time, Guri was experiencing serious damage due to the heavy rains, which caused river overflows and bridge collapses.

The flood warning for Guri City remained in effect from early morning on the 20th until 11:20 AM, and officials from the Safety Management, Road, and Greenery Departments conducted emergency operations from early morning until 2:30 PM.

However, it has been confirmed that Mayor Baek left Guri City at 12:20 PM, while city officials were still on emergency duty, and arrived at the retreat location in Hongcheon around 1:30 PM.

Prior to his attendance at the retreat, at 9:30 AM, Mayor Baek sent a text message to Guri citizens requesting them to report damage from the heavy rain to the disaster response office.

He attended the retreat despite being aware of the disaster risks.

In response, Mayor Baek told SBS in an interview that he "attended the retreat for about 20 minutes at the request of Guri citizens," adding, "I did not drink alcohol."

He also explained that he had checked the damage situation at the Guri disaster response office at 11 AM before heading to Hongcheon but acknowledged his mistake, expressing his apologies to the citizens of Guri for causing concern.

This incident has sparked controversy regarding the roles and responsibilities of local government heads during disaster situations.

The fact that the head of the local government left the area to attend a company retreat during a time of emergency, where heavy rain was causing casualties in the northern Gyeonggi Province, has enraged many citizens.

Naver TV 'SBS News'

Image source: SBS '8 News', Mayor Baek Kyung-hyun / News1