Jangwoo Park, Geoje Mayor, Faces Risk of Removal from Office... First Trial Issues Election Nullification Sentence

Sentenced to 6 Months Imprisonment, 2 Years Probation

Jong-woo Park, Mayor of Geoje, Gyeongnam.
[Photo by Geoje City Hall]

Park Jong-woo, mayor of Geoje City, Gyeongnam, who was indicted on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act, was sentenced to a penalty that nullifies his election in the first trial.

The Criminal Division 1 of Tongyeong Branch of Changwon District Court sentenced Mayor Park on the 30th to six months in prison with a two-year suspension of execution.

Under the Public Official Election Act, if an elected public official is sentenced to a fine of 1 million won or more, their election is invalidated.

Mayor Park was reported to the Geoje Election Commission on charges of involvement in providing 13 million won in three installments to an employee of National Assembly member Seo Il-jun’s office through a publicity team member, in exchange for recruiting party membership applications, providing party member lists, and promoting on social networking services (SNS) ahead of last year’s nationwide simultaneous local elections.

He was previously not prosecuted in December last year due to insufficient evidence, but the Geoje Election Commission, dissatisfied with this, requested a review of the non-prosecution decision. The Changwon Division of Busan High Court accepted the request, leading to a trial.

The court recognized some of the charges as guilty on that day.

The court explained the sentencing by stating, “Considering the legislative intent of the Public Official Election Act, which was created to prevent the infringement of fairness, strict punishment is necessary,” and “taking into account the absence of prior similar offenses and the amount provided.”

Earlier, at the sentencing hearing on the 23rd of last month, the prosecution requested a “judgment at the court’s discretion” without proposing a separate sentence.

After the first trial verdict, Mayor Park expressed his intention to appeal, stating, “I will prove my innocence.”

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