Some of the 'monthly membership fees' collected over two years by local councilors in Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk, are suspected to have been misappropriated as campaign funds in the recent 22nd National Assembly election, prompting the police to launch an investigation.
Geojiyun (Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk), a member of the People Power Party, is appearing at the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office on the afternoon of the 6th to undergo investigation related to allegations of violating the Public Official Election Act. [Photo by Yonhap News]
The Gyeongsan Police Station in Gyeongbuk announced on the 30th that a complaint had been filed requesting verification of whether some of the funds collected by Gyeongsan city councilors were used for election expenses. The police stated, "We will investigate the misuse of funds according to the procedures based on the contents of the complaint."
The complaint, submitted by a civic group in Gyeongsan-si, alleged that some of the 'monthly membership fees' collected over two years from July 2022 by 14 local councilors of the People Power Party in Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk, were used as campaign funds for Jo Ji-yeon, then a candidate of the People Power Party, in this year's 22nd National Assembly election. The total amount collected by the 14 local councilors over two years since July 2022 was approximately 30 million KRW. Basic councilors paid 100,000 KRW, metropolitan councilors paid 200,000 KRW, and the city council chairman and others paid between 300,000 and 500,000 KRW monthly.
The funds were deposited and managed in a bank account opened under the name of Councilor A of Gyeongsan-si. After Councilor A was hospitalized for medical treatment, Councilor B took over management. Subsequently, conflicts arose among People Power Party city councilors during the election for the second half of the Gyeongsan City Council chairman, leading to disputes over the use of the funds.
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