Gwangju City Councilor Choi Young-hwan Charged with Accepting Money and Interfering in Business... Indictment Details Released

The charges against Choi Young-hwan, former Gwangju City Council member, accused of bribery related to the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education's project to convert private kindergartens into publicly owned single-structure kindergartens, were disclosed at the first trial.

The 11th Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court (Presiding Judge Go Sang-young) held the first hearing on the 3rd in courtroom 302 for Choi Young-hwan (36), former Gwangju City Council member, who was detained and indicted on charges including violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery).

Choi was indicted on charges of receiving 62 million KRW from private kindergarten officials and others in exchange for providing information and procedures related to the selection of the project, which was promoted by the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education from April to September 2021 to convert private kindergartens into publicly owned single-structure kindergartens.

The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education’s purchase-type kindergarten project involves purchasing existing private kindergartens and converting them into national or public kindergartens to reduce the financial burden on parents.

On April 8, 2021, Choi leaked documents related to the selection of purchase-type kindergartens to Mr. A and received 2 million KRW in cash as compensation. Three days later, after being appointed as a member of the purchase-type kindergarten selection committee, Choi conveyed internal review processes and progress of the project to Mr. A, whose kindergarten was then selected as a purchase-type private kindergarten.

Investigations also revealed that Choi promised to help another kindergarten be selected as a purchase-type kindergarten in exchange for 30 million KRW.

When the police began a full-scale investigation, Choi fled overseas in 2022, leading to an Interpol red notice. After being on the run for one year and seven months, he surrendered in January.

At the trial held that day, due to reasons such as a change of defense counsel, the defendant’s acknowledgment of the charges was not addressed. The court will continue the trial on the 17th at 10:10 a.m. in the same courtroom of the Gwangju District Court.