Embezzlement of National Subsidies and Power Abuse Against Public Officials... One Journalist from Jeonnam Region Sent to Prosecution in Custody

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] Local reporters who operated in a county area of Jeonnam illegally embezzled government subsidies and threatened public officials have been collectively sent to prosecution.

On the 15th, the Jeonnam Police Agency's Anti-Corruption Economic Crime Investigation Unit 2 announced that it had arrested and sent to prosecution Mr. A, the head of the local reporters' association, on charges of embezzling several hundred million won in government subsidies using forged documents.

Additionally, three reporters who threatened county office officials together with Mr. A were sent to prosecution without detention.

Mr. A is accused of forging private documents in 2019, falsely claiming to operate a livestock barn and pretending to have disposed of goats, thereby fraudulently claiming 407 million won in subsidies.

Police investigations revealed that Mr. A fabricated documents despite the requirement that livestock barns must have been operated prior to the FTA agreement enforcement date of December 12, 2014, in order to receive government subsidies.

Furthermore, it was confirmed that Mr. A inflated the quantity of goat sales and submitted false sales confirmation documents to the county to claim government subsidies.

In addition, Mr. A, along with fellow reporters, was found to have intervened in county administrative interests for several months and threatened related public officials under the pretext of reporting.

A Jeonnam police official stated, “We will actively respond to crimes abusing the reporter status and will strongly and strictly tackle the culture of power abuse.”