Jeonbuk Local Council Members Violating Election Law Show Mixed Outcomes

Published 03 Aug.2021 11:45(KST)

Imisuk and Park Hyeongbae, Jeonju City Council Members, and So Wanseop, Wanju County Council Member, Face Risk of Losing Council Seats

Jeonbuk Local Council Members Violating Election Law Show Mixed Outcomes

[Jeonju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Han-ho] The fortunes of Jeonbuk local council members who were reported last year for violating the Public Official Election Act during the general election are diverging.

Among the council members who stood trial, three have faced disadvantages such as loss of their council seats and restrictions on their eligibility to run for office, which is expected to cause significant repercussions in next year’s local elections as well.

According to local political circles on the 3rd, nine local council members in Jeonbuk were reported for violating the Public Official Election Act during the April 15 general election held last year.

By city and county, there were four in Jeonju, three in Wanju, one in Iksan, and one in Gimje.

Among them, three?two from Jeonju and one from Wanju?were sentenced to fines exceeding 1 million won or received penalties such as loss of council seats and restrictions on eligibility during the first and second trial stages.

Jeonju council members Imi-suk and Park Hyung-bae were each sentenced in the first trial to four months in prison with a two-year probation and a fine of 2 million won, respectively.

They were collectively prosecuted by the prosecution for violating election laws during the Democratic Party’s parliamentary candidate primary, where they appealed for support for specific candidates ahead of the general election.

In Wanju County, council member So Wan-seop was sentenced to a fine of 3 million won in the appellate trial.

So was charged with defamation for mentioning false information about Democratic Party candidate Ahn Ho-young in front of an audience of about 150 people on April 5 last year, ahead of the general election.

In contrast, former Jeonju council member Jeong Seom-gil and former Gimje council member On Ju-hyun (who resigned on October 19, 2020) received dismissal rulings.

A dismissal ruling means the criminal case is terminated without judicial judgment due to reasons such as the statute of limitations expiring or changes or abolition of laws after the crime.

Additionally, former Jeonju council member Kim Jin-ok, who was tried on charges of spreading false information, was acquitted.

Furthermore, Iksan council member Jo Gyu-dae, who was reported for pre-election campaigning, was fined 700,000 won, while Wanju council members Lee In-suk and Kim Jae-cheon, who stood trial for proxy voting during the Democratic Party primary, were fined 800,000 won and acquitted, respectively, allowing them to retain their council seats.

If the three local council members’ fines exceeding 1 million won are finalized as per the first and second trial sentences, attention is focused on whether political changes will occur centered on their constituencies in the 8th nationwide simultaneous local elections next year.

This is because their careers and party affiliations could exert considerable influence in their regions.

Council member Imi-suk has political weight with three terms from the 9th to the 11th, and council member Park Hyung-gyu is also evaluated to have a solid position within the local area (Hyoja 4 and 5-dong, Jeonju).

Additionally, council member So Wan-seop was the only elected member from the Democratic Peace Party in Wanju County during the 2018 local elections.

A political insider said, “Last year’s general election saw prominent violations of election laws due to misguided loyalty competitions among local council members toward parliamentary candidates or leading candidates,” and predicted, “Depending on the results of upcoming trials, there is a high possibility that voter sentiment will be affected to some extent in next year’s local elections or the next general election.”