'1 Vote Difference' Cheonan Baewonye Nonghyup Union Chief Election...Court Declares Invalid

Former Candidate Yoo Young-oh Wins Plaintiff Verdict in Invalid Lawsuit Case

The court has ruled that the election result for the head of the Cheonan Pear Horticultural Cooperative in Chungnam, decided by a one-vote difference, is invalid.

On the 16th, the 1st Civil Division of the Cheonan Branch of the Daejeon District Court ruled in favor of Yoo Young-oh, the former candidate for the head of the Cheonan Pear Horticultural Cooperative, in his lawsuit challenging the election's validity.

Yoo, who ran in the election held last March, filed the lawsuit claiming that the current head, Park Sung-gyu, allowed unqualified cooperative members to participate in the election.

He argued, "There have been reports and circumstances indicating that some members maintained their membership and voting rights through false lease contracts and other means," adding, "I want to clarify whether unqualified members voted through this lawsuit."

Out of approximately 1,100 cooperative members, 921 participated in the election, with candidate Park Sung-gyu winning by 461 votes, a margin of just one vote.

If the ruling is finalized, a re-election will be held for the head of the Cheonan Pear Horticultural Cooperative.