Baek Jong-won's Demand to Dismiss the Spokesperson for Yesan-gun Rekindled
As controversies surrounding Baek Jong-won, the CEO of Dabang Korea, continue, a petition demanding his dismissal from the position of Yesan-gun spokesperson has been resurfaced.
On the 23rd, a post was made in an online community requesting Baek's dismissal as the spokesperson for Yesan-gun.
The author of the post stated that they had submitted a petition through the National Civil Complaint Center on February 26 and again on May 24, requesting Baek's dismissal from the spokesperson role.
They introduced themselves as a "democratic citizen with a sense of mission to uphold the rule of law, establish public order, and realize social justice," explaining that based on this sense of mission, they have continuously reported and filed complaints regarding corruption incidents in both the political arena and society to administrative and investigative agencies.
Emphasizing the Justification for Dismissal with Legal Grounds
The petitioner mentioned that they have consistently raised issues regarding Baek Jong-won's various illegal activities and, in February, officially requested the dismissal of Baek from the spokesperson position to Yesan-gun, but Yesan-gun decided to maintain his position.
They then emphasized, "Three months have passed since then, and with police investigations intensifying and public opinion deteriorating, I believe that the dismissal of the spokesperson can no longer be postponed, and I am formally requesting it once again."
The petition includes requests for dismissal based on Article 4, Item 3 (when the job is deemed inappropriate due to damage to dignity, etc.) and Item 4 (when it becomes difficult to continue the job) of the "Yesan-gun Spokesperson Operation Ordinance." The petitioner claims that Baek has been "criminally charged with multiple legal violations recently, leading to significant damage to Yesan-gun's trustworthiness and image due to relevant investigations and media coverage."
Additionally, they stated, "The spokesperson is not merely a celebrity but a symbolic position representing the region, and having public and moral integrity is a fundamental premise. A person under repeated controversy and criminal investigation continuing to hold the spokesperson role inevitably leads to serious damage to Yesan-gun's external trust and public stature."
Baek Jong-won has been the spokesperson for Yesan-gun, his hometown, since 2016 without a separate appointment ceremony.
Yesan-gun previously stated that they had no plans to dismiss the spokesperson in response to a similar petition in February. At that time, a military official explained in an interview with the Kukmin Ilbo, "Once appointed as a spokesperson, they remain in that role until dismissed," and "We notified that we would not dismiss the spokesperson in March regarding related complaints."
Image source: Online community capture, YouTube 'Baek Jong-won', Baek Jong-won Dabang Korea CEO / News1
