Supreme Court to Deliver Verdict on Appeal of Park Woorang, Shinan County Governor, on the 27th

WooRyang Park, Governor of Shinan County.

The Supreme Court ruling for Park Woorang, the governor of Shinan County in Jeonnam, who has been on trial for unfairly intervening in the hiring of fixed-term public officials, will be held on the 27th.

According to the legal community on the 16th, Governor Park was indicted on charges of receiving requests and giving unfair instructions in the process of hiring nine fixed-term public officials and workers in Shinan County from 2019 to 2020. He is also accused of damaging the resume of a pre-selected candidate during a search and seizure.

Governor Park denied the charges, but was sentenced to one year in prison in the first trial and eight months in prison with a two-year probation in the appeals trial. If the Supreme Court confirms this, Governor Park will immediately lose his position in accordance with the Public Official Election Act.

Some are raising concerns about the possibility of a prolonged vacancy in Shinan County. The National Election Commission decided not to hold by-elections for heads of local governments who lose their positions or have their elections annulled between March and May this year simultaneously with the early presidential election, making the timing of the Shinan County by-election uncertain.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has not yet scheduled a ruling on the case involving the wife of Park Hongryul, the mayor of Mokpo, which could determine whether his election is annulled. Mayor Park's wife has appealed after receiving a suspended prison sentence in the appeals trial on charges of inducing the annulment of the election of former Mokpo Mayor Kim Jongsik.