japantimes | When the elderly leader of a South Korean religious sect knelt before
the nation on Monday (March 2), he had hoped to defuse public anger
over his church's role in spreading the coronavirus.
Yet Lee Man-hee's apology for the national "calamity" instead whipped up more outrage - due to a watch he was wearing.
The
gold-coloured watch, visible on his left wrist, was apparently given by
disgraced former President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached and jailed
in 2017 for corruption and abuse of power.
Images of the watch
quickly trended on Twitter, while "Lee Man-hee watch" was the most
searched phrase on South Korea's biggest search portal Naver.
"He is bragging about Park's gift," fumed one Twitter user.
"His watch was shiny and crystal clear, like his loyalty and ties with
Park Geun-hye," jibed another.
There was no comment on the
controversy from Lee. But a leader at his Shincheonji Church of Jesus
said there was nothing untoward about the watch, which was given as a
merit award.
"It has nothing to do with politics," the official
told Reuters, noting that Lee was a veteran of the Korean War. "He wears
it because he doesn't have anything else."
