Park Yong-chul Claims "Routine Party Activities" in Final Defense
Attorney Argues Visits Were Not Electioneering
Park Yong-chul (61), the mayor of Ganghwa County, Incheon, who was prosecuted for illegal election campaigning ahead of last year's general election while serving as a member of the Incheon City Council, has been sentenced to a penalty that nullifies his election victory.
On the 14th, the prosecution requested a fine of 1 million KRW against Mayor Park, who was indicted for violating the Public Official Election Act, at the sentencing hearing held by the 15th Criminal Division of the Incheon District Court (Presiding Judge Ryu Ho-jung). The prosecution did not specify the reasons for the sentencing request in court that day.
In his final defense, Mayor Park's attorney argued, "The defendant was well acquainted with the council chairpersons who visited his home, and they were naturally people who would vote for the People Power Party," adding, "He visited them to pay a courtesy call or to check public sentiment, which does not constitute election campaigning."
Mayor Park also appealed in his final statement, saying, "As a city council member at the time, I engaged in routine party activities," and "I visited thinking it was to listen to complaints or to pay a courtesy call." The first trial sentencing hearing is scheduled to be held on the 20th of next month in courtroom 324 of the Incheon District Court.
Mayor Park was indicted on charges of illegal election campaigning for the same party's National Assembly candidate by visiting the homes of People Power Party council chairpersons in Ganghwa County, who were voters, multiple times between March and April last year ahead of the general election.
At the time of last year's general election, Mayor Park was a member of the Incheon City Council, and later that year, in October, he ran as the People Power Party candidate in the by-election for mayor of Ganghwa County, Incheon, and was elected.
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