JinAn County Mayor Accused of Vote-Buying, Not Indicted Despite Evidence

Ahead of the 2026 local elections, allegations emerged that the head and team leader of the Democratic Party's local office in Jinan County distributed money to residents through the heads of village and township councils. According to a whistleblower, 50,000 won banknotes were rolled up, secured with rubber bands, and delivered in amounts of 200,000 to 300,000 won at a time. Newstamsa reported that a voice recording of a specific courier confessing to this method of money delivery has also been secured.

Allegations have surfaced regarding Mayor Jeon Chun-seong, claiming that his secretary, a public official, requested support for Jeon Chun-seong and interfered in the election. It was also claimed that money was distributed to village and township council heads prior to opinion polls. Clarifying whether these instructions were organized will be a key issue in future investigations.

The allegations related to the Jinan County election can be largely summarized into three charges of election law violations. First is the organized distribution of cash, and second is the alleged abuse of official power involving the secretary, a public official. The secretary is suspected of interfering in 'filial piety' tours for the elderly to conduct election campaigning. Third is the accusation of mobilizing public sector workers to induce support declarations for a specific candidate. Furthermore, evidence was found of blatant pressure to support candidate Jeon Chun-seong and coercion for vote authentication via a group chat room ahead of the Democratic Party's primary.

According to a whistleblower, the distribution of money was led by the head and a female secretary working at a National Assembly member's office. They allegedly delivered money to township party council chairpersons during the first and second primary rounds and are suspected of systematically supporting only a specific individual among the four candidates for Jeon Chun-seong. This suggests that the election campaign was not merely individual but organized.

It was revealed that money transfers were primarily conducted inside vehicles by the director and secretary. The whistleblower specifically testified that bundles of 50,000 won banknotes, rolled up and tied with a yellow rubber band, were delivered. Voice recordings have also been secured, in which the recipient of the money mentions receiving more than others, indicating differentiated amounts based on the primary round, which strengthens the evidentiary value of the money transfers.

Evidence has emerged that a group chat room for village and township councils, led by the head of the Jinan Democratic Party local office, was used for organized election campaigning. In this chat room, participated in by some 30 village and township council heads, messages encouraged support for candidate Jeon Chun-seong and coerced vote authentication ahead of the April 11 primary. After voting, organized movements were confirmed, such as compiling safe numbers for party members with voting rights and reporting the number of votes.

In the group chat room, the act of coercing vote authentication while meticulously checking the list of primary participants was revealed. For example, specific vote counts such as 'Maryeong 34 people, 16 plus 4 safe numbers' were reported. There were even instances of direct voting scenes being recorded and shared in the group chat, followed by instructions to delete the evidence, indicating awareness of illegality. This was presented as clear evidence of organized election interference.

Despite clear evidence of illegal election campaigning in the group chat room, the Jinan Police Station dismissed the case due to insufficient evidence. The police cited the existence of the chat room before the election, but criticism has been raised that it is difficult to understand why the investigative agency dismissed the case when the specific candidate's instructions were clear. This is criticized for showing the police's passive investigative stance on organized illegal election activities.

It was confirmed that public sector workers affiliated with Jinan County declared support for Mayor Jeon Chun-seong without official procedures, raising suspicions of an election based on abuse of power. Mayor Jeon Chun-seong proudly posted this declaration of support from public sector workers on his Facebook. Considering the structural limitations where irregular public sector workers cannot help but be swayed by the mayor, this can be interpreted as organized election interference using hierarchy.

Allegations have been raised that the secretary to Mayor Jeon Chun-seong delivered money at a 'filial piety' tour event. The video shows the secretary greeting candidates before the tour departure and taking out what appears to be an envelope. This scene further amplifies suspicions of vote-buying. In particular, the fact that the secretary was promoted after the election adds weight to the allegations.

Despite numerous allegations of vote-buying and abuse of official power, it was revealed that the police did not summon Mayor Jeon Chun-seong even once for questioning. Even a written investigation was not conducted, leading to criticism that it was tantamount to granting impunity. The police investigation, which omitted an investigation of the key figure, is unlikely to avoid controversy over fairness.