【브레이크뉴스 경북】이성현 기자= 최경환 전 경제부총리 측은 1월30일자 모 언론사의 “무소속 최경환, 국힘 달고 선거유세하다 ‘아차’...선거법위반 조사중”이라는 기사와 관련해 적극적인 해명과 함께 기사 내용을 반박했다.

최경환 전 경제부총리 측은 “최 전 부총리 SNS에 해당 홍보물이 게재된 사실이 없다”며 “국힘 당원인 지지자가 실수로 국힘 로고가 들어간 해당 홍보물을 작성하여 지지자 본인의 SNS에 게재하였고, 이후 3~4 시간 만에 해당 지지자는 선관위로부터 최 전 경제부총리가 국민의힘 소속이 아니라는 지적을 받고 스스로 게시물을 내린 것으로 파악됐다”고 설명했다.  

© 최경환 예비후보

또, “해당 홍보물을 게시한 사람은 선관위의 조사를 받았고, 최 전 부총리가 국민의힘 활동을 오래 했기 때문에 당원으로 착각하고 국힘 로고를 넣은 것으로 확인됐다”면서 “(당사자는)조사 후 선관위 처분을 기다리고 있는 것으로 파악됐다.”고 밝혔다. 

그러면서 “지지자의 단순 실수로 어쩔 수 없었던 상황이었고, 향후 이런 일이 재발하지 않도록 각별히 유의하겠다”는 입장을 밝혔다.   

다만, 이날 언론의 기사 내용 중 첨부된 사진에 대하여는 적극 부인했다. 최 전 부총리측은 “해당 언론사는 기사에 첨부된 사진 설명 중 ‘지난 22일 최 전 경제부총리의 페이스북 화면 캡처’라고 설명했는데, 이는  사실과 명백히 다른 내용”이라며 “최 전 경제부총리의 페이스북에는 해당 홍보물이 게재된 사실이 없다”고 반박했다. 

또한, 기사에서 ‘최경환 전 경제부총리가 선거법 위반 조사를 받고 있다’고 보도한 사실에 대하여도 “최 전 부총리는 선거법 위반 조사를 받은 사실이 전혀 없다”고 했으며, 해당 게시물이 2~3일간 사회관계망서비스(SNS)상에 지속적으로 노출됐다”고 보도된 사실에 대하여도 “실제로는 지지자의 SNS에서 3~4시간 게재된 후 선관위 지적을 받고 해당 지지자가 즉각 내린 것으로 확인됐다”고 반박했다.

이에 앞서 중앙의 한 매체는 30일자 기사에서 최경환 전 경제부총리가 무소속으로 출마를 하면서 자신의 SNS상에 국민의힘 로고가 붙여진 홍보뉴스물이 유포됐다는 취지의 기사를 내보내며 선거법 위반 의혹을 제기했다.

<구글 번역으로 번역한 영문 기사의 전문 입니다. 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 밝힙니다.>

 Former Deputy Prime Minister Choi Kyung-hwan's side refuted the article's contents with an active explanation regarding an article published by a certain media outlet dated January 30th titled, "Independent Choi Kyung-hwan, campaigning with national power, 'oops'... under investigation for violation of election laws."

Former Deputy Prime Minister Choi Kyung-hwan's side said, "There is no fact that the promotional material in question was posted on former Deputy Prime Minister Choi's SNS," and "A supporter who is a member of the National Power Party mistakenly created the promotional material with the National Power Party logo and posted it on the supporter's own SNS, and later on 3-4. “In a matter of hours, it was discovered that the supporter took down the post on his own after receiving criticism from the National Election Commission that former Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and Finance Choi was not a member of the People Power Party.”

In addition, “The person who posted the promotional material was investigated by the National Election Commission, and it was confirmed that former Deputy Prime Minister Choi had been mistaken for a party member because he had been active in the People Power Party for a long time and had put the National Power Party logo on it,” he said. “(The party) was disposed of by the National Election Commission after the investigation.” “It was discovered that they were waiting for the .”

He then stated, “It was an unavoidable situation due to a simple mistake by the supporter, and we will be especially careful to prevent this from happening again in the future.”

However, he actively denied the photo attached to the media article that day. Former Deputy Prime Minister Choi's side said, "In the photo caption attached to the article, the media explained that it was 'former Deputy Prime Minister Choi's Facebook screen capture on the 22nd,' but this is clearly different from the truth," and "Former Deputy Prime Minister Choi's Facebook page said, “There is no fact that the promotional material was published,” he refuted.

In addition, regarding the fact that the article reported that ‘former Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and Finance Choi Kyung-hwan is being investigated for violating the election law,’ it said, “Former Deputy Prime Minister Choi has never been investigated for violating the election law,” and the post was banned from social media for 2-3 days. Regarding the fact that it was reported that “it was continuously exposed on SNS,” he refuted, “It was confirmed that it was actually posted on the supporter’s SNS for 3 to 4 hours and then immediately taken down by the supporter after being pointed out by the National Election Commission.”

Prior to this, a central media outlet raised suspicions of violating the election law in an article dated the 30th that said that promotional news material with the People Power Party logo was distributed on former Deputy Prime Minister Choi Kyung-hwan's social media while he was running as an independent candidate. .