"Apologies for Causing Trouble with Water"... Former Jeju Councilor Kang Kyung-heum Admits to Prostitution Charges in Trial

Attorney Kang Kyung-heum: "Lost Both Honor and Dream of Becoming a Politician"

Kang Kyung-heum (31), a former Jeju Provincial Assembly member who was prosecuted on charges of prostitution, admitted to the charges during the trial.

According to Yonhap News on the 11th, the Jeju District Prosecutors' Office requested the court to sentence Kang, who was indicted for violating the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic (prostitution), to a fine of 2 million won at the first trial held at the Jeju District Court Criminal Division 3.

Former Jeju Provincial Assembly Member Kang Kyung-heum. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Kang is accused of drinking at a nightlife establishment in Jeju City on January 27 last year and moving to a nearby lodging facility with a foreign female hostess, where he engaged in prostitution once. Around January 29, two days later, Kang transferred 800,000 won via bank transfer to the nightlife establishment owner for the alcohol and prostitution fees.

Kang denied the charges during the investigation but admitted to the facts in court. He said, "I apologize for causing social controversy as a public official." Kang's defense attorney stated, "The defendant has lost both his honor and his political dreams due to this case," and added, "Usually, first-time offenders receive a suspension of indictment with conditions for sex education, but since this case has gone to trial, we ask for leniency so that the punishment is not severe."

Earlier, in April last year, the police cracked down on a nightlife business in Jeju that arranged prostitution and, during the additional investigation, confirmed that Kang had made a bank transfer to the establishment and referred the case to the prosecution. The owner of the nightlife business and others were investigated for detaining four Southeast Asian foreign women from November 2022 to March last year and forcing them to entertain customers and engage in prostitution.

When the prostitution allegations surfaced, the Democratic Party of Korea Jeju Provincial Party Ethics Tribunal held a meeting in July last year and expelled Kang, stating that regardless of criminality, he committed a serious act of damaging dignity contrary to the atmosphere of the local community. Shortly after, Kang submitted a voluntary resignation letter to the Provincial Assembly, which was approved by then Speaker Kim Kyung-hak.