"Bribery Allegations Video Involving Daughter"...Yeonggwang County Mayor Jang Seil Takes Legal Action

Criminal and Civil Lawsuits Filed Against Informant and Media Outlets
Claim That Verification of Check Will Reveal the Truth
"We Can No Longer Tolerate the Spread of False Information"

Part of the text message sent after Jang Seil, mayor of Yeonggwang County, refused a tip-off's request to offer money to himself. Provided by the office of Mayor Jang.

With the nationwide local elections on June 3 approaching, controversy over a "bribery allegations video" surrounding the Yeonggwang County governor election in South Jeolla Province has escalated into a legal dispute. The office of Jang Seil, the mayor of Yeonggwang County, stated that the video in question is "an obvious fabrication and manipulation," and has started legal action including criminal complaints and claims for damages.

On March 24, Mayor Jang issued a statement asserting, "The 'bribery allegations video involving the county mayor’s daughter' currently being circulated by some online media and YouTube channels is entirely false," adding, "It is a malicious smear campaign aimed at disrupting the integrity of the election." He further emphasized, "There has been absolutely no acceptance of money or valuables."

Regarding the "cashier’s check," which is at the center of the controversy, he said, "The authenticity of the cashier’s check claimed by the tipster can be verified in a short time simply by checking the user history," and urged, "The media and investigative authorities should quickly secure the check number and other details to verify the facts."

He added, "Continuously spreading unverified information is a crime that undermines the order of elections."

Mayor Jang’s office has already begun legal proceedings.

On March 13, Mayor Jang’s daughter filed a police complaint against those spreading false information on charges of defamation, and completed a follow-up investigation on March 23. On the same day, a criminal complaint was also submitted against certain online media outlets that reported the tipster’s claims without verification, for violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (defamation).

Separately, applications for provisional injunctions to delete and prohibit the posting of the video, as well as civil lawsuits for damages, have also been filed.

Mayor Jang’s office stated, "We can no longer tolerate illegal smear campaigns," and declared, "We will hold those responsible accountable to the end."

The office also called on law enforcement agencies to "swiftly and thoroughly investigate the background and truth of the incident." To voters, they appealed, "Do not be misled by falsehoods and agitation; please make your judgment based on policies and vision." In addition, they requested that both the Democratic Party of Korea’s central and South Jeolla provincial party offices "conduct a thorough investigation of the facts to ensure a fair primary process."

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