Cheong Wa Dae says Lee ordered rescue operations for Daegu incident while on golf course

SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung was indeed playing golf when a supermarket ceiling collapsed in the southeastern city of Daegu over the weekend, his office confirmed Sunday, while insisting that the president immediately ordered rescue operations after receiving updates on-site.

Cheong Wa Dae took an unusual step of proactively confirming Lee's out-of-office schedule after Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) earlier announced plans to hold a press conference to reveal that Lee had been on the links during the incident.

Large sections of ceiling finish material collapsed on the second floor of a four-story building in Daegu on Saturday morning, injuring 38.

In a statement, Cheong Wa Dae said Lee visited Taeneung Country Club in northern Seoul with his family Saturday and was briefed on the Daegu incident while there.

The presidential office said Lee got on the phone with Kim Jong-cheol, acting chief of the Korean National Police Agency, and received "detailed updates" on casualties and damage.

"President Lee then instructed relevant agencies to deploy all available resources for rescue efforts and ensure swift and safe recovery measures," Cheong Wa Dae added, indicating that Lee's outing at the golf course did not prevent him from performing his duties as head of state.

The announcement by the presidential office appears to be a preemptive response against what it regards as a politically charged attack linking Lee's golf outing to an incident that caused multiple injuries.

Cheong Wa Dae apparently sees practicing golf serves a diplomatic purpose since Lee may play a round with U.S. President Donald Trump, an avid golfer, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Miami, Florida, in December.

Sources said some in the presidential office believe legal action must be taken against Joo over security breaches if the lawmaker were to release photos or videos of the president's security detail and official vehicles.

"As a rule, we do not confirm the president's undisclosed or private weekend activities, but we are making an exception this time to prevent an unnecessary controversy," Cheong Wa Dae said. "We express regret over attempts to exploit the president's private schedule for a political battle."

At his press conference at the National Assembly, Joo claimed that Lee left the golf course at 4:49 p.m. Saturday and described his outing as "an imperial round of golf."

Joo demanded a minute-by-minute account of Lee's response to the incident and called on the presidential office to explain how Lee's round was funded.

"They only begrudgingly admitted to the golf outing only 10 minutes before my press conference because I had secured photos," Joo said while demanding an apology from Lee and a special investigation into the situation.

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) dismissed Joo's allegations as "irresponsible political maneuvering."