Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-wook appears for first police questioning, denies charges
Version 2: Kim completed roughly three hours of questioning and said afterwards that he had explained the matters sufficiently, with outlets differing on whether he appeared as a suspect or as the person complained against and on whether the local election was held on June 3 or June 13.
In short
Kim Sang-wook, the mayor of Ulsan, appeared at the Ulsan Police Agency on Oct. 4 for his first police questioning over a Public Official Election Act violation allegation and alleged prostitution, and denied wrongdoing. Hankook Ilbo reported the questioning lasted about three hours and 20 minutes, while Yonhap and Newsis reported about three hours; he left shortly after 11 a.m. and said he had explained the matters sufficiently. Yonhap reported the statute of limitations on the election law allegation expires on Dec. 3.
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Kim Sang-wook, the mayor of Ulsan, appeared at the Ulsan Police Agency at about 8 a.m. local time on Oct. 4 for his first police questioning over a Public Official Election Act violation allegation and alleged prostitution, according to Yonhap, Dong-A Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo, Kyunghyang Shinmun and Hankook Ilbo. Hankook Ilbo reported that he was questioned for about three hours and 20 minutes and was sent home at about 11:20 a.m., while Yonhap and Newsis reported the questioning lasted about three hours and Kyunghyang Shinmun reported he left shortly after 11 a.m. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
Arriving in a dark navy jacket, white shirt and sneakers, Kim told reporters that “no law was violated, yet complaints have been filed indiscriminately” and that “various groundless rumors” had spread, which he called personally insulting and confusing for residents. He cited the “rice paddy watch” case involving former President Roh Moo-hyun and the Seongnam mafia case involving President Lee Jae-myung as allegations that turned out to be fabricated, and said “cowardly, bad old-style politics” should not exist in Ulsan. He said he had come “with a comfortable mind” and would state matters as they are. [ 1 , 3 , 9 ]
After the questioning he said he had discussed several matters with police and had explained the parts he could account for sufficiently. He said that if wrongdoing exists it is right to raise it, but that provoking disputes with false claims wastes the city's working time, and that if police clear him, those who raised what he called false claims should resign their seats and retire from politics, while the media that amplified them should publicly apologise to citizens. [ 1 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
The election law allegation concerns the local election, when Kim's camp declared a halt to an opinion poll during the unification process between the Democratic Party and the Progressive Party, saying it suspected organised intervention by some forces. The Progressive Party later accepted a re-run and Kim became the unified candidate and was elected mayor, Yonhap reported. The People Power Party's Ulsan branch filed the complaint, arguing that he made it appear an opinion polling firm had stopped the survey after finding something unusual even though no organised intervention was confirmed, and alleging false publication under the election law and obstruction of business. Hankook Ilbo reported that police mainly checked whether he published false facts to influence voters' judgment. [ 1 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
Kim has also been reported to police over alleged prostitution in the Philippines, and a separate complaint says people connected to that allegation passed money to someone to cover it up. Kim said on social media on Oct. 3 that he had travelled to the Philippines while he was a lawyer to contact local industry to expand immigration-related work, and that prostitution rumors were raised on that basis; Yonhap quoted him calling the claims “nonsense mudslinging”, while Hankook Ilbo reported the trip as taking place in 2023. Dong-A Ilbo's summary and Newsis also list alleged overseas gambling among the allegations, which the other documents do not mention. [ 1 , 3 , 8 , 9 ]
Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that Kim was questioned as a suspect and that police said they could not confirm the exact point at which his status changed or the charges, while Hankook Ilbo and Newsis reported he appeared as the person complained against. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that the case is handled by the Ulsan police anti-corruption and economic crime investigation unit. Yonhap reported that the statute of limitations for the election law allegation expires on Dec. 3 and that police are speeding up the investigation. No document reports an investigative conclusion or a next step. [ 1 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
Why it matters
The questioning places a sitting city mayor under criminal investigation while he remains in office, and Yonhap reported that police are speeding up the case because the statute of limitations for the election law allegation expires on Dec. 3. The complaint was filed by the opposition People Power Party's Ulsan branch, which the documents present as a political dimension of the case in Ulsan, and Kim said he intends to focus only on his work.
Key facts
- Kim Sang-wook, the mayor of Ulsan, arrived at the Ulsan Police Agency at about 8 a.m. local time on Oct. 4 for his first police questioning in the case. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
- He denied wrongdoing, saying no law was violated, that complaints had been filed indiscriminately and that groundless rumors were spreading and were personally insulting. [ 1 , 3 , 9 ]
- The questioning lasted about three hours, or about three hours and 20 minutes according to Hankook Ilbo; he left the building shortly after 11 a.m. [ 5 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
- The election law allegation concerns the halting of an opinion poll during the Democratic Party and Progressive Party unification process in the local election; the People Power Party's Ulsan branch filed the complaint, alleging false publication and obstruction of business. [ 1 , 6 , 8 ]
- Yonhap reported that the statute of limitations for the election law allegation expires on Dec. 3 and that police are accelerating the investigation. [ 1 , 6 ]
- He was also reported to police over alleged prostitution in the Philippines, and one complaint says people connected to that allegation passed money to someone to cover it up. [ 1 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
- After the questioning he said he had discussed several matters and explained them sufficiently, and that if he is cleared, those who raised what he called false claims should resign their seats and retire from politics. [ 6 , 8 , 9 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Kim Sang-wook, the mayor of Ulsan, appeared at the Ulsan Police Agency on Oct. 4 for police questioning, the first such appearance in the case. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
- He denied the allegations, saying he had not violated the law and that the complaints and rumors were insulting. [ 1 , 3 , 9 ]
- The investigation covers a Public Official Election Act violation allegation. [ 1 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
- He was also questioned over alleged prostitution in the Philippines. [ 1 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Kim was questioned as a criminal suspect or as the person complained against. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported he was questioned as a suspect and that police declined to confirm when his status changed or the exact charges, while Hankook Ilbo and Newsis reported he appeared as the person complained against.
- Whether alleged overseas gambling is part of the complaints against him. Dong-A Ilbo's summary and Newsis mention overseas gambling among the allegations; Yonhap, Kyunghyang Shinmun and Hankook Ilbo refer only to election law violations and prostitution.
- The date of the local election in which the opinion poll was halted. Yonhap, Kyunghyang Shinmun and Newsis refer to the June 3 local election, while Hankook Ilbo refers to the June 13 local election.
- When Kim made the trip to the Philippines that is at the centre of the prostitution allegation. Hankook Ilbo describes it as a 2023 trip during his time as a lawyer, while Yonhap quotes him describing travel three to four years earlier while he was a lawyer.
- The exact length of the questioning and what police concluded or plan to do next. Hankook Ilbo gives about three hours and 20 minutes and Yonhap and Newsis about three hours; no document reports an investigative outcome or next step.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Kim Sang-wook arrives at the Ulsan Police Agency for his first police questioning, telling reporters that no law was violated and that the complaints and rumors were insulting. [ 1 , 3 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
- Yonhap reports his arrival and remarks, including that the statute of limitations on the election law allegation expires on Dec. 3. [ 1 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports that Kim was sent home after about three hours and 20 minutes of questioning; Kyunghyang Shinmun reports he left shortly after 11 a.m. [ 6 , 8 ]
- Yonhap reports that he was questioned for about three hours and afterwards said he had explained several matters sufficiently. [ 5 ]