Cheongju City Council Member Under Investigation for Alleged Sex Trafficking of a Minor

[Anchor]

A sitting Cheongju city council member is under police investigation for allegedly engaging in sex trafficking with a minor. The allegations raised are of a very serious nature.

CJB reporter Park Eon has the story.

[Reporter]

Police investigators are seen leaving the office of a Cheongju city council member.

Police conducted simultaneous searches of the home and office of 35-year-old first-term council member Choi Young-joong, a member of the People Power Party, after allegations surfaced that he engaged in sex trafficking with a minor.

Choi is accused of having sexual relations with a middle school student three times over a one-year period, from October 2024 to October 2025, in vehicles and at lodging establishments.

Police believe that Choi met the victim through a chat app and lured her by offering small amounts of money or cigarettes in exchange for sexual acts.

The police are investigating not only the sex trafficking charges but also the possibility of sexual exploitation crimes.

The search warrant lists four charges, including child sex trafficking, production of sexually explicit material, engaging in conversations for the purpose of sexual exploitation, and soliciting sexual acts. It is reported that the solicitation charge was included because he allegedly offered more money if the victim brought a friend.

The case came to light after the victim's parents filed a complaint with the police this past February.

The police summoned Choi for questioning as a suspect in May, ahead of the local elections.

It is reported that Choi stated during the investigation, "I did engage in prostitution, but I did not know she was a minor."

Choi ran in the election without informing his party's provincial chapter that he was under investigation and was ultimately elected.

The police plan to conduct a digital forensic analysis of the seized mobile phone and other items to determine if there are additional charges before deciding on whether to seek an arrest warrant for Choi.

(Video coverage: Park Hee-sung, CJB / Source: Instagram of Cheongju City Council Member Choi Young-joong)

Reported by Park Eon, CJB
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.