Police refer Incheon Yeongjong district head Son Hwa-jeong to prosecutors on election law
In short
Incheon Yeongjong Police Station referred Yeongjong District head Son Hwa-jeong (손화정) to the Incheon District Prosecution Office on 22 October on a charge of spreading false information under the Public Official Election Act. He is suspected of claiming before the 3 June local elections to have lived in Yeongjong when he did not. Police did not refer tax evasion and inflated-career allegations, citing insufficient evidence.
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Incheon Yeongjong Police Station referred Yeongjong District head Son Hwa-jeong to the Incheon District Prosecution Office, police said on 22 October. Newsis and Seoul Shinmun reported that the charge is publication of false information under the Public Official Election Act. Yonhap reported that the election law charge was applied to Son after a police investigation that began over allegations including false address registration. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to Newsis and Seoul Shinmun, Son is suspected of presenting himself as a Yeongjong resident before the 3 June local elections this year while not living there. Seoul Shinmun wrote that he was accused of claiming to have lived there for some time. [ 2 , 3 ]
Newsis reported that the complainant relied on Son's asset declaration to argue that there was no record of Son or his family owning or renting property in Yeongjong. Seoul Shinmun reported that the asset declaration Son submitted to the election commission showed no such records. [ 2 , 3 ]
Police did not refer other allegations raised in the complaint. Both outlets reported that allegations of tax evasion and of inflating his career as a National Assembly aide were closed without referral, citing insufficient evidence among other reasons. Seoul Shinmun added that Son had been alleged to have no record of paying income tax, property tax or comprehensive real estate tax in the past five years for himself and his family. [ 2 , 3 ]
A police official told Newsis that only part of the reported content was referred after the investigation and that specific details could not be disclosed. Seoul Shinmun quoted the official as saying that only the election law charge was referred. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The referral moves the case against a sitting district head to the prosecution stage. The documents do not say what prosecutors will decide.
Key facts
- Incheon Yeongjong Police Station referred Yeongjong District head Son Hwa-jeong to the Incheon District Prosecution Office, police said on 22 October. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The charge is publication of false information under the Public Official Election Act. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Son is suspected of falsely presenting himself as a Yeongjong resident before the 3 June local elections while not living there. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Police decided not to refer allegations of tax evasion and of inflating his career as a National Assembly aide, citing insufficient evidence among other reasons. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Yonhap reported that he had been under police investigation over allegations including false address registration. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Details of the police investigation A police official said specific investigation details cannot be disclosed, so the evidence behind the referral is not public.
- Whether the false address registration allegation is part of the referred charge Yonhap and Seoul Shinmun mention that allegation as background; Newsis and Seoul Shinmun describe the referred charge as false statements about residence.