Choi Hakbeom, the chairman of the Gyeongnam Provincial Council, and Park In, the second vice chairman, who are suspected of distributing goods to fellow council members during the candidate election process for the latter half of last year’s council leadership, will be investigated by the prosecution.
The Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit of the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency announced on the 14th that Chairman Choi has been referred to the prosecution for violating the Political Funds Act, and Vice Chairman Park has been referred for bribery charges.
Former provincial council member A, who is suspected of conspiring with Chairman Choi to distribute goods, has also been handed over to the prosecution on charges of violating the Political Funds Act.
According to the police, Chairman Choi is accused of conspiring with A in May last year, ahead of the 12th Gyeongnam Provincial Council’s latter-half leadership election, to distribute 18 boxes of eel sets worth about 100,000 won each to 18 People Power Party council members.
Vice Chairman Park is accused of sending 56 boxes of pork gift sets worth about 60,000 won each by courier to 56 People Power Party council members in June last year.
Out of the total 64 members of the Gyeongnam Provincial Council, 60 belong to the People Power Party.
It has been confirmed that the sender’s name on the eel courier packages at the time was that of Chairman Choi.
The police believe that A, who conspired with Chairman Choi, prepared the goods using funds from a corporation he belonged to and sent them under Chairman Choi’s name.
The Political Funds Act prohibits the giving or receiving of political funds in elections for local council chairmen and vice chairmen, as well as donations of political funds using funds related to domestic or foreign corporations or organizations.
This case came to light in July last year when the Democratic Party raised suspicions that a People Power Party candidate had sent gifts to other council members in connection with the council leadership election, leading to a search and seizure of the council in December of the same year and a subsequent investigation.
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