O Taewan Uiryeong County Governor Acquitted of Election Law Violation in First Trial

O Taewan, the governor of Uiryeong County, Gyeongnam, arrived in front of the Changwon District Court Masan Branch, where the first trial sentencing related to the violation of the Public Official Election Act was held.
Photo by Lee Seryeong

O Tae-wan, the governor of Uiryeong County in Gyeongnam, who was accused of violating the Public Official Election Act, was acquitted in the first trial.

The 1st Criminal Division of the Changwon District Court Masan Branch held a sentencing hearing for Governor O on the 21st and pronounced a not guilty verdict.

Previously, the prosecution had requested the court to sentence Governor O to one year in prison.

According to the court, Governor O was accused of handing over 9 million won to Special Public Relations Advisor A on four occasions between March 15 and May 3, 2022, ahead of the nationwide local elections, and having more than 110,000 text messages sent by May 31 of that year to influence the election.

After the verdict, Governor O said, "I am grateful to the court for seeing the substantive truth," and added, "I apologize for causing concern to the residents, and I will work diligently for the remainder of my term."