Representative Ha Young-je Accused of Violating Political Funds Act, Quits People Power Party

On the 24th, Ha Young-je, a member of the People Power Party who was indicted on charges including violation of the Political Funds Act, submitted his resignation to the Gyeongnam Provincial Party.

In a statement on the 24th, Representative Ha said, "I am leaving the People Power Party to avoid causing even a small burden to the party," adding, "I will sincerely cooperate with the upcoming judicial process and fully clarify any misunderstandings through the trial."

He added, "I deeply apologize for showing an unfortunate appearance" and "I offer my sincere apologies."

People Power Party lawmaker Ha Young-je is heading to the Changwon District Court in Gyeongnam for a warrant hearing.
[Photo by Lee Se-ryeong]

Representative Ha is accused of receiving 70 million won from a prospective candidate for the Gyeongnam Provincial Assembly election last June, in exchange for helping with the candidate's nomination ahead of the nationwide local elections, and a total of 57.5 million won from local government heads and their aides under the pretext of operating expenses for regional offices.

On March 20, the Criminal Division 4 of the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office requested an arrest warrant for Representative Ha on charges including violation of the Political Funds Act and the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. Although the National Assembly passed a motion to consent to his arrest in the same month, the arrest warrant was dismissed on April 3 due to lack of concerns about evidence tampering or flight risk.

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