As the appellate trial for Nam-pyo Hong, the Mayor of Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam, on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act is underway, two key witnesses?Donghwa Jang, former head of the Changwon Industry Promotion Agency, and Jumok Cha, former secretary-general of the Gyeongnam Provincial Party of the People Power Party?once again failed to appear in court.
The Criminal Division 1 of the Changwon Panel of the Busan High Court issued a bench warrant for former director Jang and imposed a fine of 2 million won on former secretary-general Cha.
The court stated, "Former director Jang failed to appear at a previous trial and was fined 2 million won, yet still did not come to court, and former secretary-general Cha was served a summons but did not appear," explaining the reason for the measures.
At the hearing, one defendant and three broadcasting station officials appeared as witnesses.
Changwon Mayor Hong Nampyo is heading to the courthouse for the appellate trial hearing. Photo by Lee Seryeong
Mayor Hong was brought to trial on charges of conspiring with Mr. A, who was the chief election campaign manager during last year's nationwide local elections, to promise a public office to Mr. B, who intended to run in the Changwon mayoral primary for the People Power Party, in exchange for joining their campaign.
Mr. A was indicted on charges of proposing a public office to Mr. B, who intended to run as a preliminary candidate, in conspiracy with Mayor Hong to induce him to join the campaign.
Mr. B, who reported both individuals, is also on trial for accepting the offer to join Mayor Hong's campaign and the promised public office.
In the first trial, the court acquitted Mayor Hong, sentenced Mr. A to six months in prison, and gave Mr. B a four-month prison sentence suspended for one year.
Mayor Hong and Mr. A's side argue that Mr. B had no intention of running in the election, so he was able to appear on broadcasts within 90 days before the election.
According to special regulations of the Election Broadcasting Review Committee, candidates are prohibited from appearing on programs other than those for election broadcasting, news, or debate broadcasts as stipulated by election law, from 90 days before the election until election day.
On this day, as in the previous hearing, the court questioned broadcasting program officials who had Mr. B appear on their shows about whether they had confirmed his intention to run for office.
The court plans to continue questioning the remaining witnesses in hearings scheduled for the morning and afternoon of the 28th.
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