Democratic Party Demands Job Inspection for Changwon 2nd Deputy Mayor … Deputy Mayor Cho Says "Won't Avoid Responsibility If There Is Any"

Jo Myung-rae, the 2nd Deputy Mayor of Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, who is surrounded by allegations of violating the Public Official Election Act, made a statement on the 12th.

In his statement, Deputy Mayor Jo expressed “strong regret that certain media and political parties reported or announced one-sided claims without any minimum physical evidence or fact-checking process, quoting only one side without filtering.”

On the same day, Democratic Party members of the Changwon City Council held a press conference in the city hall briefing room, demanding a job audit of Deputy Mayor Jo and a moral apology from Mayor Hong Nam-pyo, who has the authority to appoint him.

Democratic Party council members of Changwon City Council in Gyeongnam are urging an official inspection of Cho Myeong-rae, the Deputy Mayor of Changwon District 2.
[Photo by Lee Se-ryeong]

The Democratic Party members urged an investigation into the facts, whether there was a violation of service regulations, and the relevance to duties, stating that Deputy Mayor Jo is suspected of interfering in the Changwon City Sports Association president election, forming a private organization in preparation for the general election, and receiving money during the nationwide simultaneous local elections.

They also raised their voices demanding an inquiry into whether the deputy mayor’s official residence was prepared through budget expenditures for purposes other than those procedurally justified, and whether there was abuse of power such as improper work orders.

They called on Deputy Mayor Jo to directly explain the various allegations surrounding him.

Deputy Mayor Jo said, “I judged that it was not desirable to explain directly on an hourly basis because personal matters could have a negative impact on Changwon city administration and unnecessary misunderstandings could arise if I refuted them,” adding, “If necessary, I will explain directly or take legal action.”

He continued, “Regardless of the reasons, I sincerely apologize for causing inconvenience to citizens due to personal-related allegations,” and said, “If there is anything I need to take responsibility for based on the facts, I will not evade it.”

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