Park Hong-ryul, Mayor of Mokpo, Sentenced to 1 Year for Election Law Violation... Verdict on the 13th Anticipated

Differences Inside and Outside the Courtroom... Weight of Testimonies on Alleged Sexual Misconduct and Conspiracy Theories at the Time

The prosecution has requested a one-year prison sentence for Park Hong-ryul, the mayor of Mokpo, who was indicted without detention on charges including violation of election laws, drawing attention to the court's verdict scheduled for the 13th of next month.

On the 19th, the Mokpo branch of the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office demanded a heavy sentence against Mayor Park at the Gwangju District Court Mokpo Branch's closing trial, accusing him of spreading false information during a press conference, the opening ceremony of his election office, and a TV debate ahead of the June 1 local elections.

The atmosphere inside and outside the courtroom shows some differences from the prosecution's request.

The key issue in the trial is the focus on whether rumors and suspicions about bribery and orchestration existed regarding the sexual harassment accusation that led to Park Hong-ryul's expulsion from the Democratic Party of Korea.

Exterior view of the Mokpo Branch of Gwangju District Court
Photo by Seo Young-seo

At that time, Park was indicted for spreading false information by claiming that "there are rumors that a prominent candidate was involved in the expulsion."

Additionally, Park disputes the claim that "30 billion won was spent on 50 signboards in the Taste City during the 7th local government term," arguing that only about 100 million won was used, contesting whether this was false information.

Meanwhile, during the trial, there is a prevailing atmosphere that the orchestration theory of the sexual harassment accusation, which was cleared of charges, has been sufficiently revealed through various testimonies.

Before the initial sexual harassment accusation was publicly reported by the media on March 30 last year, testimonies and related claims have continued that the local community was already aware around the 26th that the accusation would be made, lending weight to the possibility of the orchestration theory's actual existence.

In other words, this is interpreted as testimony indicating that the sexual harassment incident was premeditated, supporting suspicions of orchestration and bribery.

Furthermore, Park's claim that "there are rumors that a prominent candidate was involved in the expulsion" is increasingly interpreted as not false information, as it suggests possible involvement of political forces.

Regarding the statement about 3 billion won being spent on signboards, the claim that only about 100 million won was spent is also challenged by testimonies interpreting the category to include both signboards and advertising materials, making it difficult to prove it as false information.

With seven court sessions and the prosecutor's one-year sentence request, the trial is nearing its conclusion, and attention is focused on the verdict scheduled for July 13.

Meanwhile, in contrast, on the 25th of last month, in the election law violation trial of Park Hong-ryul's wife, the prosecution requested a two-year prison sentence, but the court acquitted her.

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