Buan Police decline to transfer charges against Governor Kwon Ik-hyun

The Buan Police Station has decided not to transfer a case against Buan County Governor Kwon Ik-hyun regarding alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act. The investigation centered on remarks made during a TV debate for the June 3 local elections, where Kwon claimed an opposing candidate had approximately 10 billion won in debt. However, the candidate's actual debt was reported to be around 120 million won.

Police concluded that it is difficult to prove intent to spread false information, suggesting the discrepancy might have been a slip of the tongue caused by nervousness during the debate. They noted that the candidate's financial status is public information and that the motive to exaggerate the figure by 100 times to face criminal penalties seemed weak.

This decision has sparked local controversy, with critics questioning whether a 10 billion won discrepancy can be dismissed as a simple mistake. Concerns regarding the fairness and adequacy of police investigations into Governor Kwon have been raised previously, including an investigation into allegations of preferential hiring for his son and other corruption claims, which also resulted in non-transfer decisions.