On April 15, last year, Gwangjin and Democratic Party candidate Goh Kohn-jeong are voting at a polling place in the Gwangjin-gu Civil Defense Education Center in Seoul. yunhap news
In addition, Democratic Party lawmaker Goh Kohn-jung appeared as a witness at the trial of Kim Mo (44), who served as general manager at his election camp on the 24th. Kim, who is also a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, was handed over to trial on charges (violation of the Public Officials Election Act), including false statements of support in election publications while working at the late congressman election camp during the 21st general election last year. Congressman Ko, who came out as a witness that day, testified that “the working team took care of it and (I) didn’t know at all.”
The head of the camp and Ko Gom-jeong sits behind the wall
On the afternoon of the 24th, at the hearing of the 11th Criminal Division of the Seoul Eastern District Court (Director Judge Yoon Gyeong-ah), a late lawmaker appeared as a witness during the 4th trial on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act. The late lawmaker demanded that a screen be installed between Mr. Kim sitting in the defendant’s seat and himself. Because of this, Mr. Kim could not see the late Assemblyman sitting in the witness stand. Mr. Kim said that it was “unusual”, but the judge said, “There seems to be no problem.”
According to the prosecution’s indictment, Mr. Kim is accused of including supportive statements in election publications without obtaining permission from Mr. Park Mo, the chairman of the traditional market in Jayang-dong. The prosecution said that it had not received a report from Mr. Kim, the head of the camp’s general headquarters, and brought a charge against the late lawmaker.
The’final meeting’ issue attended
In the Witness Newspaper on that day, the’final meeting of publicity production’ held on March 25 last year at the election camp for the late congressman became an issue. The meeting was held to decide who to put in the election publications of the former congressional candidate, and the words of support. At the meeting attended by Mr. Kim and other officials from the election camp, a late lawmaker was also seated.
The’final meeting’ held on this day was the first opinion to include Park’s supportive remarks in the publication. Rep. Ko said, “I was in a meeting place,” but said, “I was interested in who could recruit celebrities, but the general public domain was not in my head.”
Seoul Eastern District Law. yunhap news
At the meeting that day, the election camp officials reported a selection of 10 celebrities who could speak for support to Congressman Ko, but there were not many people he could ask for. For this reason, discussions were made to include not only celebrities but also ordinary people in the publication, and photos and remarks of Mr. Park, the chairman of the merchant in the district, were published. Rep. Ko said, “There was no one at the meeting who knew Park except Kim.” In the actual publication, comments by Rep. Nak-yeon Lee, Gun-young Yoon, and Oh-kyung Lim were published along with Park.
Rep. Go “I don’t check the practice”
Mr. Kim insisted that the final officer in charge of election publications was Ko. Mr. Kim’s lawyer asked, “If the party to be elected is a witness (a high lawmaker), shouldn’t we have to confirm it and make a decision?” Regarding this, Rep. Go said, “I couldn’t check and decide on the practical parts one by one. I’d have to call him to agree to see if Mr. Park entered the publication, but I didn’t know.” He said earlier in the prosecution’s investigation process that “I didn’t know the election laws, so I didn’t have to report it on the line.”
Candidate Kohn Jeong-jeong of the Democratic Party, who was running for the 21st general election in Gwangjin-eul, Seoul, greets an elderly man at the entrance of Norunsan Alley Market in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul on April 8 last year. yunhap news
“The city council member told me to get the investigation late.”
At Kim’s third trial held on the 13th of last month, Mr. Park, the merchant chairman, appeared as a witness. At that time, Mr. Park said, “I received a phone call from the late lawmaker on April 8 of last year and asked,’How are you?’ and said’I can’t’.’ This is the day when the Future Integration Party (now the power of the people) filed a complaint with the Election Commission for violating the Public Official Election Act in relation to Park’s supportive remarks in a public notice of the late Congressman.
Park also said, “The NEC told me to come for an investigation, but the city council called me and said,’You don’t have to go. “Please go to the investigation slowly,” he said, “but I did nothing wrong, so there was no reason to delay, so I was immediately investigated by the NEC.” The city councilman who made the phone call that Mr. Park pointed out is a current Seoul city council member belonging to the Democratic Party.
Reporter Jeong Jin-ho [email protected]
