Busan Mayor Park Hyung-jun Indicted for Violation of Public Official Election Act... One Day Before Statute of Limitations, Mayor's Side Denounces 'Political Prosecution'

Mayor Park Hyung-jun of Busan. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Park Hyung-jun, mayor of Busan, was indicted on the 6th on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act.

The prosecution indicted him one day before the statute of limitations for the Public Official Election Act expired, and Mayor Park's side is strongly protesting, claiming the indictment is politically motivated.

According to Busan City and local political circles, the Busan District Prosecutors' Office indicted Mayor Park regarding the violation of the Public Official Election Act filed by the ruling party and civic groups during the April 7 by-election.

Mayor Park, who was the Blue House Public Relations Planning Officer during President Lee Myung-bak's administration, is accused of making false statements about the 'suspected order of civilian surveillance by the National Intelligence Service related to the Four Major Rivers Project,' and is charged with false statement publication under the Public Official Election Act.

During the by-election, Mayor Park stated that he neither intervened in nor ordered the civilian surveillance.

Victims who claim to have been surveilled at that time regarding the suspected order of civilian surveillance related to the Four Major Rivers Project are demanding severe punishment, stating that Mayor Park made false statements.

Regarding 10 cases, including allegations of his child's admission request to Hongik University, a decision of non-prosecution was made. This decision was made one day before the six-month statute of limitations for election law violations expired on the 7th.

Mayor Park's side protested, saying, "We never gave any instructions related to illegal surveillance during the election process," and "The prosecution has made a politically motivated indictment."

Mayor Park's side stated, "The upper echelons, including the National Intelligence Service, forcibly raised the civilian surveillance allegations by interfering in the election," and "We have not yet seen the indictment, so we will issue an official statement once we review it."

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