County Council Member Referred to Prosecutors for Giving 72,000 Won Worth of Gifts to Local Residents... Seongju Election Commission

The Seongju County Election Commission in North Gyeongsang Province filed a complaint with the Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office, Western Branch, on the afternoon of January 20, against incumbent county council member A on suspicion of providing gifts to constituents and others.

An official from the Election Commission stated, "A is suspected of providing commemorative gifts purchased by the Seongju County Council to four individuals, including three constituents and one person with ties to the constituency, in October and December of last year."

Seongju County Election Commission

The official added, "The value of the commemorative gifts delivered to the four individuals is 72,000 won. Since a local council member personally handed out gifts to constituents, this is interpreted as a violation of the election law."

According to Article 113, Paragraph 1 of the Public Official Election Act, a member of a local council is prohibited from making donations to anyone within their constituency, or to anyone with ties to the constituency even if they reside outside it. Violations of this provision are subject to imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 10 million won, as stipulated in Article 257, Paragraph 1 of the same law.