Village Chief Habitually Sexually Assaulted Woman with Intellectual Disability... Goheung Village in Uproar

Served 4 Years for Sexual Assault... Elected Village Chief Without Suitable Job
Residents Express Anxiety... Difficult to Dismiss Due to Lack of Legal Grounds

Sexual Assault (Illustration) [Image Source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Bong-ju] In a village in Jeonnam, residents are expressing anxiety after a convicted sex offender who repeatedly sexually assaulted two women with intellectual disabilities was appointed as the village chief.

According to Goheung-gun, Jeonnam, on the 23rd, it was recently discovered that Mr. A, who was appointed as the village chief of Donggang-myeon this year, served four years in prison for sex crimes.

Mr. A was arrested on charges of repeatedly sexually assaulting intellectually disabled individuals in a neighboring village while working in delivery in the past.

Also, around 2015, he was involved in a group sexual assault case of intellectually disabled women in another village in Goheung and served a prison sentence.

This case, in which four villagers sexually assaulted intellectually disabled women over several years, caused significant social controversy.

After completing his four-year sentence, Mr. A was released in April last year and is reported to have worked various day labor jobs without a steady occupation.

In December last year, the villagers held a general meeting to elect a new village chief. One resident recommended Mr. A, and four senior elders, acting as leaders, appointed him without a vote, reasoning that "since he has no proper job, he should at least handle village affairs."

The head of the township office appointed Mr. A as village chief earlier this year. Although aware of Mr. A’s sex crime record, there were no relevant regulations to prevent the appointment.

The appointment of village chiefs follows the Enforcement Decree of the Local Autonomy Act. The decree states that "the village chief shall be appointed by the eupjang or myeonjang according to the rules set by the local government among those who are highly trusted by residents," but does not specify disqualifications or grounds for dismissal.

An official from the township office said, "Village B is a clan village where people with the same surname as Mr. A live. We do not know why Mr. A was recommended, but if the village elects him, the myeonjang has no choice but to appoint him."

Villagers are divided over the issue of the "sex offender village chief."

While some residents defend Mr. A, others argue that he should be dismissed. Especially since the village chief can enter private property at any time under the pretext of official duties, female residents feel even more uneasy.

Meanwhile, in response to this controversy, Jeonnam Province recently recommended that frontline city, county, and district offices revise ordinances to include restrictions on appointing sex offenders as heads of neighborhood units.