▲ Cheongyang County Mayor Kim Hong-yeol
Cheongyang County Mayor Kim Hong-yeol of South Chungcheong Province, who was preparing to run in the June 3 local elections, has been indicted for providing free beverages to local constituents.
The Gongju Branch of the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office announced today (November 4) that it has indicted Mayor Kim without detention on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act regarding donations.
Mayor Kim is accused of distributing 20 packs of red ginseng drinks and 40 canned coffees free of charge on two occasions to constituents in Cheongyang County around November of last year, while he was seeking to become a candidate in the nationwide simultaneous local elections.
Prosecutors determined that Mayor Kim's provision of drinks constitutes a donation act strictly prohibited by the Public Official Election Act.
The Public Official Election Act stipulates that even a person seeking to become a candidate may not make donations to constituents or others, and violations are punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won.
(Photo provided by Cheongyang County, Yonhap News)
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