Police Transfer Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, on Charges of Election Law Violation

Violation of Prohibition on Door-to-Door Visits under Public Official Election Act
District Mayor Park's Explanation: "No Election Activities Conducted"

The police announced on the 8th that they have sent the suspect to prosecution without detention on charges of campaigning while visiting district office rooms recently. However, they decided not to prosecute on charges of spreading false information.

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] The police have handed over Park Gang-su, the mayor of Mapo District Office in Seoul, to the prosecution on charges of campaigning while visiting district office offices.

The Mapo Police Station in Seoul announced on the 8th that they recently sent Park, the district mayor, who is accused of violating the Public Official Election Act (prohibition of door-to-door visits), to the prosecution without detention. However, he was not sent for charges of false information disclosure.

According to the police, Park is accused of visiting the Mapo District Office and health center on May 25, ahead of the June 1 local elections, introducing himself as a candidate and greeting the staff. Article 106 of the current Public Official Election Act states, "No one shall visit households for election campaigning or to solicit party membership during the election period."

The police reportedly confirmed Park’s charges through closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage inside the district office and investigations of related parties.

On May 24, Park gave an interview to a broadcaster stating that "the community sports centers in Mapo District do not open on weekends and public holidays." However, four public sports centers under his jurisdiction are known to operate on weekends, leading to accusations that he disclosed false information to defeat then-district mayor Yudong-gyun.

Meanwhile, Park explained, "I did not wear campaign uniforms or sashes while visiting the district office civil service center and only exchanged formal greetings with the staff," adding, "I did not engage in any election-related activities such as distributing business cards."

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