Ignoring prosecutor's order, reassigns case to suspect

Regarding the complaint case alleging violations of the Public Official Election Act by Jinan County Mayor Jeon Choon-seong, the prosecution decided on July 23, 2026, that the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Police Agency should directly investigate. This case involves Jinan County Mayor Jeon Choon-seong as the named suspect in a Public Official Election Act violation.

It has been confirmed that Jeong Yong-hui, the investigation team leader at Jinan Police Station, has been identified as a suspect on charges of dereliction of duty, abuse of power, and intimidation. In connection with this, a decision was made on July 23 for the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency to conduct the investigation. The problem is that Team Leader Jeong Yong-hui, who is a suspect, is now investigating a case in which he himself is involved.

The Jeonju District Prosecutor's Office ordered the merger of three complaints filed by Han Su-yong and an additional complaint, totaling four cases, to be transferred to the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency for direct investigation. In this process, the prosecutor in charge at the Jeonju District Prosecutor's Office identified a total of 45 individuals as suspects.

On August 13, Han Su-yong received a call from the Jinan Police Station requesting a complainant investigation, expressing bewilderment that the case, which the prosecution had ordered to be merged, had returned to the Jinan Police Station. He even claimed that the merged case was split and transferred to the Jinan Police Station and Muju Police Station, and that the suspects were instead telling the complainant to undergo investigation.

Concerns about the fairness of the investigation are growing as suspicions have been raised that the Jinan Police Station may be colluding with local power brokers and the incumbent mayor. It was argued that even due to this conflict of interest, the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency should not send the case back to the Jinan Police Station.

Complainant Han Su-yong questioned the circumstances under which the case was transferred to the Jinan Police Station despite his strong request not to send it there. The officer in charge explained that it was not a unilateral decision but rather an assignment made after internal review by the section chief and others, and that it was not a subjective judgment.

An official from the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency stated that the case assignment decision is not made arbitrarily but is reported to and decided by superiors, including the section chief and department head. However, despite a petition from 345 citizens opposing the assignment to Jinan Station, this petition was not accepted, and the case was transferred to the Jinan Police Station. The Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency official could not provide a reasonable explanation for transferring the case to the Jinan Police Station.

Preliminary candidate Han Su-yong is seriously concerned about the fairness of the investigation because individuals designated as suspects in several election law cases are included in the Jinan Police Station's investigation team. He fully refused the Jinan Police Station's investigation, stating that it would be tantamount to informing the suspects about the case, even though all related election law cases are connected. He stated that it is illogical to accept a complaint case being reassigned to an investigation team where a suspect is conducting the investigation.

Despite the prosecution's order for the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency to conduct a direct investigation, the case was ultimately sent back to the Jinan Police Station. It was confirmed that a protest to the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency regarding this was not accepted.

Jeong Yong-hui, the investigation team leader at Jinan Police Station, who is a suspect, directly called complainant Han Su-yong to urge him to appear for questioning. Team Leader Jeong stated that the case related to Jeon Choon-seong and 19 others, involving allegations of cash payments for inducing votes and violations of the Public Official Election Act, had been transferred to the Jinan Police Station, and asked when he could come for questioning. In response, Han Su-yong reconfirmed his refusal to be questioned, citing concerns about the fairness of the investigation.

Evidence has been found that the Jinan Police Station 'split' cases to avoid concentrating them on a specific investigator. This appears to be an attempt to reduce the burden on one investigator, but it resulted in the complainant being successively requested to appear for questioning by multiple investigators.

Despite the prosecution's order to merge and have the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency investigate directly, the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency ignored this directive and reassigned the case back to the Jinan Police Station. As a result, complainant Han Su-yong is once again in a situation where he must undergo investigation at the Jinan Police Station.

Jeong Yong-hui, the investigation team leader at Jinan Police Station, despite being a suspect on charges of dereliction of duty, intimidation, and abuse of power, directly requested complainant Han Su-yong to appear for questioning via text message. Han Su-yong clearly stated that he absolutely cannot accept being investigated by the criminal division of the same Jinan Police Station for a case in which a suspect investigation team leader is involved. He fully refused the investigation within the Jinan Police Station and reiterated his request for the case to be transferred to the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency.

Three days ago, at 6:42 PM, Team Leader Jeong Yong-hui sent a text message to the complainant stating, "I will assign this case to the Jinan Police Station's Criminal Division, so please come for the complainant's investigation. Let's coordinate the schedule." Two minutes after sending the message, at 6:44 PM, he even called to urge the investigation. However, the complainant formally expressed his refusal, stating that a victim cannot be investigated under a suspect.

Complainant Han Su-yong directly visited the Jinan Police Station's Audit Division and submitted two requests for investigation transfer addressed to the police chief and the head of the investigation division. He asked the audit team leader to notify him of the decision regarding these requests, but as of now, there has been no official response. The case remains stuck and being suppressed at the Jinan Police Station.