Seo Won's Legal Representative Files Complaint Against Nonsan City Official for Abuse of Authority
Demands Dismissal of Four Social Welfare Council Executives and Appointment of City-Designated Personnel
An executive-level civil servant from Nonsan City Hall in South Chungcheong Province is suspected of having unjustly intervened in the process of appointing executives at a social welfare corporation and of creating a so-called "blacklist."
According to an Asia Economy report on June 4, the legal representative for Nonsan City Council member Seo Won recently filed a police complaint against executive-level city official A on charges of abuse of authority.
It is alleged that in December 2023, A demanded that B, an official affiliated with the Nonsan City Social Welfare Council, dismiss four specific individuals who had been reappointed as directors and appoint individuals designated by the city as new executives.
The Nonsan City Social Welfare Council is an independent corporation established under the Social Welfare Services Act. According to Articles 13 and 25 of its articles of incorporation, executives must be appointed autonomously through resolutions of the board of directors and the general meeting, and external interference is strictly prohibited.
In fact, at a board meeting held on November 6, 2023, the corporation reviewed and approved the reappointment of its representative and some directors, as well as the appointment of new directors. On December 13, an additional board meeting was held to finalize the appointment of one new director, and the related registration procedures were completed.
However, at A's request, B notified the four directors who had been reappointed by the board that their appointments were terminated.
Seo's attorney appears to have determined that A's act of designating specific individuals and intervening in personnel matters, despite having no authority over executive appointments at the welfare corporation, constitutes abuse of authority.
The legal representative for Council member Seo stated, "A's actions fall under the crime of abuse of authority by a public official as stipulated in Article 123 of the Criminal Act," and argued, "This is a serious crime that forced the corporation and its representative to perform duties they were not obligated to undertake and infringed on the exclusive right to appoint executives."
An official from the Nonsan Police Station stated, "A complaint has been filed against A," and added, "We cannot disclose details regarding an ongoing investigation."
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