Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-wook Appears Before Police for First Time, Denies Prostitution and Election Law Violation Allegations

Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-wook, who faces allegations including violations of the Public Official Election Act and suspected prostitution, appeared at the Ulsan Provincial Police Agency this morning (October 4) for questioning.

When asked by reporters about the reason for his appearance, Mayor Kim stated, "Despite having violated no laws, complaints are being indiscriminately filed." He added, "Various rumors are spreading, which is deeply insulting on a personal level and causing side effects that are confusing citizens."

He continued, "I hope this police investigation serves as an opportunity to correct these wrongdoings."

Regarding the investigation, Mayor Kim added that because he has done nothing wrong, he intends to focus solely on his work and will state the facts just as they are.

The police investigation is reportedly expected to focus on the allegations of violating the election law.

The allegations involving Mayor Kim stem from the suspension of an opinion poll during the unification process between the Democratic Party of Korea and the Progressive Party during the June 3 local elections this year.

At the time, then-candidate Kim Sang-wook's camp declared the suspension of the opinion poll, stating, "Circumstances suspecting the organized intervention of certain forces are being discovered." Afterward, the Progressive Party accepted a re-primary, leading to Kim being chosen as the unified candidate and subsequently elected mayor.

The People Power Party's Ulsan chapter filed a complaint with the police against Mayor Kim for allegedly publishing false information under the Public Official Election Act and obstruction of business under the Criminal Act.

The gist of the complaint is that, even though no organized intervention by specific forces was confirmed, Mayor Kim influenced the election by announcing as if the polling firm had discovered irregularities and halted the survey.

Mayor Kim is also reportedly facing a complaint regarding suspicions of prostitution in the Philippines.

Additionally, a complaint has been filed with the police alleging that individuals connected to these suspicions provided money and valuables to a specific person in an attempt to hush the matter up.

On October 3, Mayor Kim directly addressed the prostitution allegations surrounding him via social media and other channels, claiming, "If cleared of charges, the irresponsible individuals who raised these suspicions and engaged in false propaganda and agitation must take responsible actions such as retiring from politics and resigning from their lawmaker seats, and the specific media outlets that amplified and reproduced these claims should issue a formal apology to the citizens."

The statute of limitations for Mayor Kim's alleged violation of the Public Official Election Act expires on December 3.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.