“Leading by example” vs. “A stunt with his name badge on” ... Lawmaker clears leaves from a drain with his bare hands [What do you think?] [Video]

[Financial News] Online reactions are divided over a video of a lawmaker, dressed in a suit, clearing leaves that had accumulated in a roadside drain with his bare hands on a day of torrential rain.

According to political circles on the 20th, Rep. Park Hae-cheol of the Democratic Party of Korea (Ansan Byeong, Gyeonggi Province) posted a video on Facebook on the 18th showing him inspecting areas at risk of flooding from torrential rain.
Rep. Park said he had canceled the on-site public grievance office scheduled for that day because the strong winds and rain raised safety concerns, and was checking areas expected to suffer rain damage.
The video shows Rep. Park, wearing a suit, bent over in a waterlogged road and clearing leaves blocking a drain with his bare hands. He also cleared around the drainage facilities while holding an umbrella in one hand on a road where the water reached his calves. His suit was soaked through with rainwater.
Rep. Park said, “The heavy rain that suddenly poured down blocked the road’s drainage system, so I quickly cleared away the leaves,” adding, “I’ll also thoroughly check areas prone to repeated flooding to ensure residents face no inconvenience or safety risks.” He was also reported to have urged Ansan City to prepare thoroughly for small-stream overflows and flooding caused by sudden rain.

But as the video spread, netizens’ reactions were divided. Some commented, “Is he putting on a show with his name badge on?”, “If an aide filmed it, I automatically write it off,” “Genuine volunteer work should be done quietly,” and “Good deeds should be done so quietly that the left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing. Is this really something to photograph and post?”
Some also criticized him, saying, “If this were genuine, he would have sent his staff to the scene to clear it together,” “Next time, check the forecast and clear it before the rain comes,” and “Do that regularly.”
Others responded, “People gain hope from seeing politicians lead by example,” “So what if it’s a show? What matters is that he cleared the leaves from the drain,” “If that gets blocked, the water rises in an instant. It’s dangerous,” and “Thank you for looking after the community even on the weekend.”

[email protected] Seong Min-seo Reporter