"Violation of Political Neutrality Duty" Alleged
Moonin: "Representing Public Sentiment... Will Respond Confidently"
Kim Dongyeon, Who Held a One-Person Protest, Also Reported
"Not Worth Responding... Will Not Back Down"
Moonin, the mayor of Buk-gu, Gwangju, who hung a banner calling for the dismissal of President Yoon Suk-yeol, was reported by the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute (Gaseyeon).
On the 13th, Gaseyeon held a press conference in front of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and announced that they had reported Mayor Moon on charges including violation of the National Public Service Act. In response, Mayor Moon told Yonhap News, "The banner was posted to represent the public sentiment of the local residents, and I received a response from the Election Commission's advisory that there was no problem with posting the banner," adding, "I will respond confidently to the accusation."
District Mayor Moon hung a banner on the exterior wall of the government building with the phrase "Dismiss Yoon Seok-yeol for violating the constitution and disturbing the national order." Moon's Facebook
Earlier, on the 10th, Mayor Moon posted a banner on the outer wall of the government office building with the phrase "Dismiss Yoon Suk-yeol for violating the constitution and causing national disorder." In response, Buk-gu judged that the banner might be illegal under the Outdoor Advertising Act since it was not for government policy promotion purposes and requested its removal. The Gwangju branch of the People Power Party also criticized, stating, "The mayor of Buk-gu represents the residents of Buk-gu and cannot use the government office as a space to express personal political views," and added, "It is suspicious whether this is a political act to highlight presence ahead of the upcoming local elections."
Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is holding a one-person protest near Suwon Station in Gyeonggi Province on the 10th, calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo by Yonhap News
Meanwhile, Gaseyeon also reported Kim Dong-yeon, governor of Gyeonggi Province, who held a one-person protest calling President Yoon a "leader of a rebellion," and Park Jeong-hyun, mayor of Buyeo County, Chungnam, who put up political banners, along with Mayor Moon. A Gaseyeon official explained the reason for the report during a YouTube live broadcast, claiming, "It is clear that elected officials violated the duty of political neutrality under the National Public Service Act."
Governor Kim responded, saying, "I don't know what these far-right YouTubers, who are desperate to make money, are doing," and added, "I don't even feel it is worth responding to each one." He further stated, "For these kinds of things, I will raise my voice wherever necessary 100 or 1,000 times and will not bend my stance on early impeachment," adding, "If an investigation is conducted, I will face it confidently 10 or 100 times."
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