Court Employee in His 50s Detained for Defaming Naju Mayor Claims Unfairness

Questioned the Connection Between Mayor's Associate and Election Law Violation
Activities Were for Public Interest... Claims of Being Framed as "Illegal Protest"
Noncompliance with Police Investigation Was a Protest Over Complainant's Interrogation
Naju City Explains, "All Raised Suspicions Are Completely Untrue"
Issues Raised Include Alleged Violation of Political Neutrality by Public Official
Clarifies, "Hiring Issue Was an Internal Decision Due to Contract Expiration"

A man in his 50s, a court employee who was recently released after being detained on charges of defamation against Yoon Byungtae, mayor of Naju, is seen protesting in front of a banner raising allegations of election law violations by Mayor Yoon. Photo provided by a reader

A man in his 50s, a court employee who was recently released after being detained on charges of defamation against the mayor of Naju, South Jeolla Province, has stated that he feels the entire situation is unfair. He further explained that his actions, which were based on evidence and raised suspicions, were portrayed as if he had committed a crime.

On July 30, in an exclusive phone interview with Asia Economy, Mr. A said, "I cannot accept the defamation charges that led to my detention," and argued, "I simply asked questions as a citizen regarding the alleged violations of election law by Yoon Byungtae, the mayor of Naju."

Since the beginning of this year and up until recently, Mr. A has raised suspicions about Mayor Yoon Byungtae's involvement in election crimes, as well as issues such as the dismissal of contract workers at institutions under the Naju city government, and has continued to protest on these matters.

In response, the Naju city government filed a police complaint against Mr. A for defamation and other charges. During this process, Mr. A postponed several police summonses, was detained on July 16, and has since been released.

Mr. A stated, "A person known to be a close associate of Mayor Yoon received a court ruling for violating election law. Suspicions arose regarding the relationship between this individual and the mayor, and I demanded answers through protests," adding, "Even though my activities were for the public interest, I was treated as if I had engaged in illegal protests."

Regarding the suspicion that he avoided police attendance, Mr. A explained, "I did not avoid police attendance. Around May, I met with an investigator to undergo questioning and asked whether the complainant had been questioned. I then learned that a subordinate, not the mayor, had appeared on his behalf. I protested this, which delayed the investigation, and later, I did not receive the police summons by mail. This led to the misunderstanding that I was evading the investigation."

He also expressed his stance on the issue of unfair dismissal of contract workers at Naju city-affiliated institutions.

Mr. A said, "The suspicion of unfair dismissal of contract workers under Naju city is also based on sufficient evidence, such as document forgery, and I raised the issue accordingly," adding, "Naju city claims there is no problem, citing that the case was concluded without issue by the regional and central labor commissions, but since the court has not yet made a final decision, their claim is merely one-sided."

He reiterated his position regarding criticism that, as a public official, he participated in protests.

Mr. A stated, "Before being a public official, I am a citizen. Despite never having been found guilty by any legal authority for violating the National Public Service Act, I was treated as if I were a malicious problem employee and was even suspended from my duties."

He continued, "It is common for public officials to publicly express political messages. I have experienced that the standards applied change depending on who holds power. During the previous administration, I posted various suspicions about Kim Keonhee on social media, and I believe this is not unrelated to my detention."

He concluded, "I have never insulted Mayor Yoon or defamed him," and added, "I will make every legal effort to ensure that all suspicions are revealed."

Meanwhile, the Naju city government has stated that Mr. A's claims are completely untrue.

A Naju city official said, "If the election law violation by the person said to be a close associate of the mayor was actually connected to the mayor, the relevant authorities would have already investigated. Although he claims he was merely asking questions, there were many problems with his methods and procedures. I question whether it is appropriate to demand answers from the mayor on issues unrelated to him, thereby violating the political neutrality required of public officials."

The official added, "As previously stated, the hiring issue of city-affiliated institution employees was simply the result of a normal contract expiration, and there was nothing improper. The labor office and other authorities have already determined there was no problem. I do not know what more needs to be proven. There is a significant difference between Mr. A's claims and the facts."