"I Will Not File a False Accusation Complaint Against the Fellow Council Member for the Sake of Internal Unity"
Kwon Youngsik, a member of the Hongseong County Council in Chungnam, was recently cleared of defamation charges after being reported to the police by a fellow council member over a five-minute free speech statement made at the council.
This fact came to light belatedly when Kwon announced the 'no charges' decision notification through his personal social media account.
The incident began when Kwon was sued by a fellow council member for comments made during a five-minute free speech session at the county council regarding the controversial construction of a public dementia-specialized nursing facility.
Kwon criticized the county administration for pushing forward with the project without prior discussion or reporting to the county council, pointing out issues of secretive administration and raising suspicions of preferential treatment toward a specific contractor.
The controversy escalated when another council member, who is a relative of the contractor in question, filed a police complaint claiming that Kwon's remarks were slanderous and defamatory toward him, prompting a police investigation.
However, the police concluded that Kwon's remarks did not constitute defamation, and last week notified him of the decision. This led to speculation that Kwon might file a counter-complaint for false accusation.
Kwon stated, "People around me are urging me to file a false accusation complaint against the colleague, but I believe further controversy is not desirable for the internal unity of the council and the development of the region through harmony among residents. I will focus even more on sound legislative activities going forward."
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