Underage Drunk Driving and Prostitution... Youngest Provincial Assembly Member Born in 1993 "Admits Charges" and Apologizes

"Apologies for Causing Trouble as a Public Official"
Prosecutor's Recommended Sentence Accepted... 2 Million Won Fine
Democratic Party Expels Former Lawmaker Kang

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

Former Jeju Provincial Assembly member Kang Kyung-heum, who was prosecuted for engaging in prostitution at an illegal entertainment establishment, was sentenced to a fine.

On the 23rd, the Jeju District Court Criminal Division 3 (Presiding Judge Jeon Yong-su) sentenced Kang, who was indicted without detention on charges including violation of the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic (prostitution), to a fine of 2 million won, which was the same amount as the prosecution's recommendation.

In court, former Assembly member Kang admitted to the charges, saying, "I apologize for causing social controversy as a public official." The court stated, "Considering his position at the time of the incident and the fact that he did not initially acknowledge his wrongdoing, the responsibility is not light," but also noted, "We took into account that he admitted the charges belatedly and that this is his first offense."

Earlier, Kang was accused of drinking with a foreign employee at a bar in Jeju city on January 27 of last year, then moving to a nearby lodging facility where he engaged in prostitution once. It was revealed that two days later, he transferred 800,000 won to the business owner’s account, covering the cost of drinks and the prostitution fee.

Meanwhile, Kang was born in 1993 and was elected as the youngest member of the Jeju Provincial Assembly in the 8th nationwide local elections in 2022. However, he faced public backlash after being caught driving under the influence in February of last year and receiving a summary order fine of 8 million won. As a result, he became the first in Jeju Provincial Assembly history to be referred to the Ethics Committee, where he was disciplined with a 30-day suspension from attending sessions and a public apology. Furthermore, when the prostitution allegations surfaced, the Jeju Provincial Party of the Democratic Party of Korea held an ethics tribunal and expelled Kang from the party due to serious damage to the party’s dignity.