Police refer 40 over fake Gunwi address moves, about 20 of them county officials
In short
Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency said on 22 October that it sent 40 people to prosecutors without detention on suspicion of falsely registering addresses in Gunwi County to get rural support payments and other benefits. About 20 of the suspects are Gunwi County officials. Police said they have been investigating since April.
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Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency said on 22 October that it had sent 40 people to prosecutors without detention on suspicion of violating the Resident Registration Act. About 20 of them are officials of Gunwi County. Police say the suspects moved their registered address to Gunwi to get rural support payments and other benefits. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
According to police, the suspects actually lived elsewhere, in Daegu and other areas, while moving only the registered address to Gunwi between November 2025 and January this year. Kyunghyang Shinmun said their actual residences were in different places. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Citing Gunwi County and others, Yonhap and Kukmin Ilbo reported that some suspects received livelihood stabilisation support payments from the county after the fake move. Kukmin Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo reported that Gunwi paid each resident 540,000 won early this year in Gunwi Love gift vouchers. Chosun Ilbo said recipients were residents registered in the county by 30 November last year, and that some suspects were found to have received the money. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Chosun Ilbo also reported that some of those who moved are known to have done so for education benefits offered to students in the county. Kukmin Ilbo likewise listed education benefits among the aims. [ 2 , 3 ]
A police official said investigators had picked up clues in April and had been investigating since. The official said the suspects' motives vary and that specifics of cases not yet indicted could not be disclosed. Chosun Ilbo quoted the official as saying the case is under investigation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Kukmin Ilbo gave background. It said Gunwi was moved from North Gyeongsang Province into Daegu in July 2023, and that dozens of fake registrations were confirmed after the county's population rose by several hundred in six months before the 2022 local elections. Chosun Ilbo also reported that about 40 people were caught in 2022 for fake registrations before local elections. Kukmin Ilbo added that a North Gyeongsang audit found Yeongcheon had wrongly paid about 13 million won in relocation support to more than 60 people. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The case concerns the possible misuse of local support payments meant for residents of a rural county, and it involves county officials. Police gave few details and said the motives vary, so the full scope is not yet public.
Key facts
- Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency said on 22 October that it referred 40 people to prosecutors without detention for violating the Resident Registration Act. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- About 20 of the 40 are Gunwi County officials. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Police say the suspects lived elsewhere, including Daegu, but moved their registered address to Gunwi between November 2025 and January this year. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Some suspects are reported to have received livelihood stabilisation support payments from the county after the fake move. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Gunwi paid 540,000 won per resident early this year, in Gunwi Love gift vouchers. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Police said they have been investigating since April. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Daegu police referred 40 people, about 20 of them Gunwi officials, to prosecutors without detention on suspicion of Resident Registration Act violations. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The suspects are accused of keeping their real homes elsewhere while moving only their registered address to Gunwi, between November 2025 and January this year. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Some suspects are reported to have received the county's livelihood stabilisation support payments. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- A police official declined to give specifics, citing the ongoing case. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- The suspects' motives. A police official said motives vary and declined to give details of cases not yet indicted.
- How many suspects received payments, and how much. Documents say only that some did, citing Gunwi County and others; no figures are given.
- Whether some moved for education benefits for students. Only Chosun Ilbo says some cases involved education benefits for county students, and Kukmin Ilbo lists education benefits among the aims; police gave no detail.