Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said on the 21st that, amid controversy that the wording on a banner put up in Gyeongju by the Wolsong Nuclear Power Headquarters of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power was rude, "We will verify the circumstances of this incident and use it as an opportunity to correct the attitude and manner of communication of all public officials."
On the 21st, Kim shared a media report in a post on his social networking service (SNS), writing, "The banners that the KHNP Wolsong Headquarters produced and installed at several locations around downtown Gyeongju have angered citizens," and added the above.
A photo in the article shows banners in the name of the Wolsong Headquarters attached around downtown Gyeongju bearing phrases such as "Over five years, the Wolsong Nuclear Power Headquarters paid 219 billion won in Gyeongju local government tax, right?" and "During this year's cherry blossom marathon, you enjoyed the noodles the Wolsong Headquarters handed out for free, didn't you?"
Kim called the wording "too insulting," saying, "Support by a public institution for an event is not 'tossing a penny.' Communication is not communication without respect for residents. With that attitude and sneering, you cannot win the hearts of the people."
Regarding this, an official at the Wolsong Headquarters said, "We put up the banners to let people know we are coexisting with the community, but as criticism mounted that the content was inappropriate, we took them all down about two hours after installation."