Reported to the National Sinmungo... "They must have known about the case, but no investigation was conducted"
Senior official: "Never received any entertainment... Not a suspect after complaint was withdrawn"
County head Kim Kiwoong: "Had a meal, but never provided any entertainment"
Allegations have been raised that high-ranking officials at Seocheon Police Station in Chungnam received entertainment at restaurants and other venues owned by the family of the county governor, who was under investigation at the time.
On the 16th, Mr. B reported to the National Sinmungo that "in 2022, four people, including a high-ranking official who worked at Seocheon Police Station in Chungnam, two other officials currently serving at the same station, and one from the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency, are suspected of having received entertainment from Kim Giwoong, the Seocheon County Governor."
Mr. B claimed, "The high-ranking officials received entertainment at Kim Giwoong's log cabin, his wife's restaurant, and a plastic greenhouse for subtropical fruit cultivation, all while Kim was under investigation. They even kept leftover liquor at the restaurant."
It is reported that Governor Kim was under investigation at the time, having been sued for defamation by spreading false information by the head of a civic group in Seocheon on May 19, 2022, during the local election campaign.
Mr. B stated, "May 2022 was the local election period, so the high-ranking officials must have known that the ruling party's county governor candidate had been booked, but no investigation into Governor Kim was conducted. There is a possibility that the case was covered up."
He added, "It is hard to even imagine police officers freely coming and going to the log cabin owned by a suspect as if it were their friend's lounge and receiving entertainment, but it happened frequently and continuously."
He continued, "Even if our society has not sufficiently eradicated corruption, it is devastating that high-ranking police officials, who should be strictly punishing such well-known local misconduct at the log cabin, were at the center of it."
The high-ranking official in question responded, "I have had a meal and tea at the restaurant run by the governor's wife, but I have never received any entertainment," and denied the allegations, saying, "After Governor Kim's inauguration, I met him officially for business discussions, but never privately."
He added, "The case involving Governor Kim was withdrawn by the complainant, and since defamation is a crime that requires the victim's complaint, Governor Kim was not under investigation at that time."
Governor Kim Giwoong stated, "I have had meals with the high-ranking officials, but I have never provided any entertainment," and "I have never been investigated by the police."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
