Park Hongryul, Mayor of Mokpo, Loses Election Victory as Spouse's Conviction Confirmed

Supreme Court Upholds Suspended Sentence for Election Law Violation
Mayoral Vacancy in Mokpo Unavoidable

Park Hongryul, the mayor of Mokpo, has lost his position after his election was nullified due to his spouse's confirmed conviction for violating the Public Official Election Act. As a result, Mokpo now faces a vacancy in the mayoral office.

The Supreme Court's First Division, presided over by Justice Shin Sookhee, on the 27th upheld the lower court's sentence of one year and six months in prison with a three-year suspended sentence for Mayor Park's spouse, referred to as A. Under the Public Official Election Act, if a sentence of a fine of 3 million won or more is finalized for 'inducing election nullification,' the candidate's election is automatically invalidated.

Hongryul Park, Mayor of Mokpo.

A was brought to trial on charges of instructing an accomplice to demand money from the spouse of Kim Jongsik, the former mayor and rival candidate of Park during the 2022 local elections. The charge was a violation of the Public Official Election Act. Prosecutors alleged that A acted deliberately to nullify Kim's election victory and proceeded with the indictment accordingly.

The first trial court found A not guilty, but this decision was overturned on appeal. The appellate court stated that "the criminal charges are sufficiently proven," and handed down a suspended prison sentence. The Supreme Court also found no legal error in the appellate ruling and dismissed the final appeal.

With this ruling, Mayor Park is legally considered 'disqualified' and will lose his position. Mokpo is expected to transition to an acting mayor system in the near future. Whether a by-election will be held will be determined by the National Election Commission's decision and schedule.