Geumjeong District Mayor Yoon Il-hyeon Faces Ethics Complaint Over Alleged Casino Visits
Yoon Il-hyeon, the mayor of Geumjeong District in Busan, has been reported to the People Power Party's Ethics Committee over allegations that he visited a casino in a Philippine hotel during his summer vacation. The People Power Party's Ethics Committee will review whether Mayor Yoon's actions violate Article 22 of the party's ethics regulations, which stipulates the obligation of public officials belonging to the party to maintain dignity. It has been confirmed that Mayor Yoon went on vacation to the Philippines for three days and two nights, from April 7th to 9th. According to the complaint, Mayor Yoon allegedly visited the casino located within the hotel he used as accommodation during this period. The controversy over Mayor Yoon's casino visits first surfaced through media reports, to which Mayor Yoon responded on April 11th with an explanation, admitting, "It is true that I sat and played games for a while because I couldn't sleep at the hotel."
The report of violation states that Mayor Yoon's actions violated the duty to maintain dignity under the People Power Party's constitution and regulations. The complainant argues that Mayor Yoon's casino visits were inappropriate conduct for a public official. Public trust is being eroded by a series of inappropriate actions by Busan district mayors. Jo Byeong-gil, the mayor of Sasang District, was expelled from the People Power Party over allegations of real estate speculation involving prior acquisition of redevelopment information. In addition, Kim Jin-hong, the mayor of Dong District in Busan, was indicted on charges of violating the Political Funds Act and found guilty by the court, resulting in the loss of his mayoral position. Lee Gap-jun, the mayor of Saha District in Busan, was indicted on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act and sentenced to a penalty equivalent to invalidation of his election in the first trial.
The repeated inappropriate behavior of district mayors in the Busan area is causing disappointment in the local community, and there is a growing opinion that reflection is needed on the basic ethics that public officials must uphold. The People Power Party's Ethics Committee plans to review the allegations against Mayor Yoon Il-hyeon. The People Power Party's Ethics Committee typically determines whether to impose disciplinary action after verifying the facts and hearing statements from the parties involved after receiving a complaint. The level of disciplinary action is divided into warnings, suspension of party membership, and expulsion, and is determined according to the severity of the case. As the issue of public officials' morality is repeatedly raised, social attention is increasing.
