Strong Criticism of "Unjust Investigation"
"Two Years of Inquiry" at Executive Meeting
According to the police, in 2021, a media outlet in Pohang allegedly threatened the governor based on false information. The police claim that the governor, fearing he might lose the following year's election, provided preferential subsidies to a drone soccer tournament organized by the media outlet as hush money. This led to a search and seizure of the governor's office.
Lee Cheolwoo stated, "The premise itself is false, so how could it make sense to say the governor was afraid? This is a poorly constructed investigation based on a fundamentally flawed narrative."
He continued, "As a seasoned politician who has experienced all kinds of hardships, I boldly cut the publicity budget for all media outlets by 30% immediately after taking office. It is simply not logical to suggest that someone like me would yield to a single media outlet’s news desk. I have never met or contacted anyone from that media outlet, nor have I ever received any coverage requests or threats from them."
Lee further explained, "In the 2022 gubernatorial election, there were no challengers, so I had no motive to use subsidies to influence the election, and I have never lived my life that way." He cited a press release from that time which stated, "There are no challengers in the North Gyeongsang governor election," to confirm this fact.
He also added, "During my time as a National Assembly member, I was the only lawmaker who supported the deployment of THAAD. I have never considered whether something would be disadvantageous in an election if it did not align with my convictions."
The promotion of the drone industry was one of the most important technology and industrial policies at the time, to the extent that young people directly requested it from the governor. In line with Lee Cheolwoo’s campaign pledge to host a drone soccer tournament, such tournaments were held in Gimcheon in 2019 and in Pohang every year since 2021.
The 2021 drone soccer tournament was organized following proposals from the media outlet and Pohang City, and the budget was established through proper procedures. During this process, the subsidy was executed under the responsibility system of division and bureau chiefs, with the subsidy ratio principle setting the budget burden at 30% for the province and 70% for the city. The total budget was also reduced, with the provincial subsidy finalized at 54 million KRW, a reduction of 81 million KRW from the initial request of 135 million KRW by the organizers.
Lee Cheolwoo stated, "Due to this unjust investigation, the provincial government organization and officials who have diligently focused on proactive administration have been under investigation for over two years." He emphasized, "I will do my best to support legal counsel and alleviate psychological burdens to protect our staff."
Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of North Gyeongsang Province, said, "Regardless of time and place, I have raised the integrity of the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government to the highest level nationwide based on the principle that integrity is paramount. Through proactive administration under the motto 'Do everything as long as you don't go to jail,' we have secured 62 trillion KRW in private investment and national funding." He instructed, "Officials of North Gyeongsang Province and executives and employees of public institutions should not be shaken by this unjust investigation and should continue to carry out proactive administration with integrity and confidence."
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