Changwon Mayor Hong Nampyo 'Election Law Violation Charges' First Trial Verdict in 7 Days

February 8th, 10 AM, Changwon District Court

The first trial verdict regarding Hong Nampyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act is just 7 days away.

The Criminal Division 4 of Changwon District Court (Chief Judge Jang Yujin) concluded all arguments at the continuation hearing held on the 1st and decided to deliver the first trial verdict on the 8th.

Originally scheduled for the 6th of this month, the verdict was postponed after the prosecution requested to resume arguments, citing the need to admit additional evidence.

Hong Nampyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam (right), is walking toward the courtroom.
Photo by Lee Seryeong

On that day, the prosecution requested the admission of additional evidence, including a statement confirming facts related to the case submitted by Jang Donghwa, former director of the Changwon Industrial Promotion Agency, and a testimony from a writer of a broadcast program in which complainant A appeared before the election.

They also applied for a fact inquiry directed at the broadcasting company’s management.

The statement submitted by former Director Jang reportedly contained content indicating that A, who claimed to have been promised a public office on the condition of joining the election camp by Mayor Hong, was at that time a “person intending to become a candidate.”

The complainant A’s side alleges that during the 2022 local elections, Mayor Hong and B, the general election campaign headquarters chief of Hong’s camp, proposed and promised a public office to A on the condition of joining the campaign, but failed to fulfill it.

The prosecution argued that admitting this evidence is necessary to prove one of the key issues in the case: that A had the intention to run as a candidate.

Jang, who ran as a Changwon mayoral candidate in the 8th nationwide simultaneous local elections, was accepted as a witness related to the case during the trial but refused to appear. However, he submitted a statement confirming facts the day after submitting his resignation on the 9th of last month.

Mayor Hong’s defense attorney denied the evidentiary purpose, stating, “There are many falsehoods in the statement of facts submitted by former Director Jang.”

“Former Director Jang, who has no stake in the case and could not have anticipated whether his statement would be advantageous or disadvantageous to anyone, submitted the document while preparing for the general election,” the defense added, expressing suspicion that “he might have submitted it in consultation with A’s legal team,” and requested a credibility assessment.

Regarding the broadcast writer’s testimony, they said, “We agree to the evidence itself but deny its evidentiary purpose,” and questioned, “It has been three months since the broadcasting company’s fact confirmation arrived, and now requesting an inquiry seems like an attempt to delay the trial.”

The prosecution responded, “It is not an attempt to delay the trial but because the testimony was submitted after the conclusion of arguments,” and added, “We want to verify because the broadcasting company’s fact inquiry response and the writer’s testimony differ.”

A’s defense attorney countered, “If the court has materials to judge A’s testimony as credible, we hope they will be submitted,” and said, “The evidence was not fabricated; we merely asked if a statement confirming facts could be prepared.”

They continued, “A reported the case despite the risk of punishment and is confessing his own guilt,” and requested, “Please recognize that this is to expose political malpractice, bring about change, and not betray one’s conscience.”

In response, Mayor Hong’s defense attorney said, “I don’t know where evidence that did not appear during the investigation stage came from. Even a death row inmate avoids stepping into muddy water, but I don’t understand why A’s side is desperately trying to receive a guilty verdict.”

Hong Nampyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, is surrounded by reporters after the trial.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

On that day, the court, with the consent of both parties, admitted former Director Jang’s statement confirming facts and the broadcast writer’s testimony as evidence.

The fact inquiry requested by the prosecution against the broadcasting company’s management was not accepted.

Earlier, at the sentencing hearing held in December, the prosecution maintained its request for 8 months imprisonment for Mayor Hong, 4 months imprisonment for complainant A, and 8 months imprisonment for B.

The final statements of each defense attorney also maintained the content from the sentencing hearing, and no additional arguments were made.

After the trial, Mayor Hong told the gathered press, “I will ensure that the trial will never affect the city administration.”

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