Gyeongju Mayor Candidate Joo Nak-young’s Camp Files Complaint Against Rival Park Byung-hoon for “Spreading False Information”
The election committee of Gyeongju mayoral preliminary candidate Joo Nak-young (co-chaired by Park Mong-ryong and Lee Mu-geun) announced on the 7th that it has officially filed a complaint with the Gyeongju Election Commission against rival preliminary candidate Park Byung-hoon for allegedly violating the Public Official Election Act.
Joo’s camp stated that the allegations raised by Park during a press conference on the 6th—including claims of “collusion between politics and the media and commissioned reporting,” as well as “government-involved election activities and public official intervention”—are “100% fabricated falsehoods intended to defame an opposing candidate,” and pledged a zero-tolerance response.
Regarding the voice message promotional issue raised by Park, the camp explained, “This was a routine administrative process conducted after review and reporting to the Election Commission,” adding, “Park is misleading citizens by portraying a matter that can be lawfully explained as if it were a serious crime.”
The camp also strongly refuted the “politics-media collusion” allegation, stating, “There has been no collusion with media organizations to manipulate public opinion. This is a malicious accusation that undermines both press freedom and the candidate’s reputation.” As for the “government-involved election” claim, the camp emphasized, “There has been no mobilization of public officials or organized intervention, and the claim distorts the voluntary activities of civic groups.”
A campaign official said, “Recent court rulings have imposed strict penalties for the dissemination of unfounded false information regardless of election outcomes,” adding, “Park’s remarks could constitute a serious violation that may lead to annulment of election results.”
Co-chairs Park Mong-ryong and Lee Mu-geun stated, “Candidate Park Byung-hoon must immediately stop deceiving Gyeongju citizens under the guise of exposés,” and added, “Starting with this complaint to the Election Commission, we will pursue legal action and hold him fully accountable to eradicate outdated and negative campaign practices.”
Meanwhile, Joo’s camp reaffirmed its commitment to focusing on policy and vision, aiming to win voter support through a “clean election” campaign for the remainder of the race.
