Prosecutors First Summon Ulsan Mayor Song Cheol-ho Over 'Election Interference Allegations'

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The prosecution, investigating allegations of Blue House’s ordered investigations and election interference, summoned and is questioning Song Cheol-ho, Mayor of Ulsan, on the 20th. This is the first time Mayor Song has been questioned since the prosecution’s investigation began.

The Public Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office (Chief Kim Tae-eun) summoned Mayor Song around 10 a.m. on the same day for questioning.

The prosecution is reportedly focusing on examining the process by which key pledges, such as the public hospital construction project during the June 13, 2018 local elections, were formulated and whether the Blue House and the ruling party intervened.

Mayor Song is suspected of meeting with Blue House officials before the local elections to discuss election strategies and pledges. It is known that in January 2018, Mayor Song met with Song Byung-gi, Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs of Ulsan, Jeong Mo (54), a political special advisor, and other members of the so-called ‘Gongeoptap Planning Committee,’ along with Jang Hwan-seok, then Senior Administrative Officer of the Blue House’s Balanced Development Secretariat.

The prosecution believes that discussions about Ulsan mayoral election pledges took place at this meeting and that Jang and others assisted Mayor Song in designing his election pledges. In connection with this, the prosecution has summoned and questioned Deputy Mayor Song, Special Advisor Jeong, and former Administrative Officer Jang multiple times.

The prosecution also plans to investigate whether Mayor Song was involved in the process by which former Deputy Mayor Song delivered reports related to former Ulsan Mayor Kim to the Blue House, leading the police to initiate an investigation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.