Prosecutors Indict Lee Jin-seok Chief for 'Ulsan Mayor Election Interference', Cho Kuk and Others Cleared (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The prosecution investigating allegations of the Blue House's interference in the Ulsan mayoral election has indicted Lee Jin-seok, head of the Blue House's Office of National Affairs, without detention. Other current and former Blue House officials, including former Presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok and former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, were not prosecuted due to insufficient evidence.

On the 9th, the Public Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kwon Sang-dae) indicted three individuals without detention on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act: Lee, former Ulsan Deputy Mayor Song Byung-gi, and public official Yoon.

Lee, who served as the Blue House Secretary for Social Policy, is accused of intervening to delay the announcement of the preliminary feasibility study for the Industrial Accident Mother Hospital, a key campaign pledge of then-Mayor Kim Ki-hyun (currently a member of the People Power Party), who was seeking re-election in the 2018 local elections.

Yoon was indicted on charges of sending internal Ulsan City Hall documents via email and explaining related content at the request of former Deputy Mayor Song, enabling the use of this information in establishing election pledges and election campaigns for a specific candidate.

In particular, it was confirmed that Song Cheol-ho, then a candidate for mayor in October 2017, met with former Senior Administrative Officer Jang Hwan-seok of the Balanced Development Secretariat and Lee Jin-seok to request a delay in the announcement of the preliminary feasibility study for the Industrial Accident Mother Hospital project.

However, former Minister Cho Kuk, former Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok, Blue House Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Lee Kwang-cheol, and other suspects were cleared or had charges dismissed due to lack of clear evidence to prove the allegations. The prosecution had previously summoned and investigated former Chief of Staff Im in January last year.

Additionally, the prosecution stated that cases such as the allegation that Mayor Song's camp received bribes from a used car dealership owner during the 2018 local elections were transferred to the Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office because many of the involved parties reside in Ulsan.