Police Investigate Potential Staged Attack During Election Campaign

Police are reportedly investigating the possibility that the alleged attack on Reform Party Busan mayoral candidate Jung Yi-han during his election campaign was staged.

The Busan Geumjeong Police Station announced today (June 17) that they are verifying the facts surrounding the incident in which candidate Jung claimed he was struck by a beverage thrown at him during his campaign in April.

It has been reported that police raided Jung’s campaign office on June 4, the day after the election.

The police are currently investigating charges including obstruction of official duties by deception, dissemination of false information, and violations of the Public Official Election Act.

On April 27, Jung claimed that while campaigning near the Guseo Interchange in Geumjeong-gu, Busan, he was hit by a beverage thrown by a passing driver.

At the time, Jung’s campaign team stated that he lost consciousness after falling while trying to dodge the beverage and was taken to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with a concussion and muscle contusions.

Immediately after the incident, police arrested a man in his 30s who was identified as the driver based on CCTV footage from the scene, but the request for an arrest warrant was dismissed.

Following the incident, Jung personally visited the man and submitted a petition for leniency, and returned to his campaign activities two days later while wearing a neck brace.

The police stated that they are currently reviewing the circumstances and evidence of the case, but it is difficult to disclose specific details of the investigation at this stage.

The Reform Party central headquarters stated in an official release, "Immediately after learning of the details regarding former candidate Jung Yi-han, we decided to cooperate actively at the party level to ensure that not a single suspicion remains regarding the investigation process."

The party further emphasized, "As a victim of this matter, the party is acutely aware that uncovering the truth is directly linked to the party's reputation."

They added, "Former candidate Jung has already withdrawn from the party through the online system," and "Once the facts are determined by investigative authorities, the central headquarters plans to take additional necessary civil and criminal measures."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.