Kim Kwan-young Cleared of Insurrection Charges: What It Means for the 2024 Jeonbuk Election
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Kim Kwan-young’s Camp: “We Received Notice of No Charges Today”
Independent candidate Kim Kwan-young, who is running for governor of North Jeolla Province, has been notified that he will not be indicted on charges of aiding an insurrection.
According to the second special prosecution team, Kim’s camp received a notice of no charges at about 6 p.m. that day.
The allegation against Kim stemmed from claims that, during former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, North Jeolla Province followed guidelines from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to close the provincial office and thus cooperated with the regional martial law command. Democratic Party candidate Lee Won-taek raised objections that ignited the controversy.
Kim’s campaign said, “A fax arrived at the provincial office at 6 p.m. today notifying us of no charges,” adding that the notice states Kim faces no charges related to aiding an insurrection or dereliction of duty.
At a press briefing on the 4th, Kim said he would immediately retire from politics if the special prosecution team indicted him on the aiding-an-insurrection allegation. He also noted that Candidate Lee had pledged to establish the facts and said Lee should be held accountable for making the accusation.
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