Choi Young-jung, a Cheongju city council member from the People Power Party facing charges of sexual activity with a minor and production of child sexual exploitation material, repeatedly delayed police interviews and refused to hand over his mobile phone after the investigation began, authorities said.
According to Yonhap, the parents of the middle school victim filed a complaint against Choi with a Daejeon police station in late February under the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth from Sexual Abuse. The case was transferred to the Cheongju Cheongwon Police Station about a month later, at which point police first summoned Choi for questioning.
Although Choi was already aware he had been reported to police, he repeatedly postponed the scheduled interviews, citing the need to retain legal counsel.
He ultimately did not appear before police for his first round of questioning until mid-May.
At the time, Choi was preparing to run in the June 3 local elections for a Cheongju city council seat, but during the police interview he did not disclose his candidacy and instead identified his occupation as a company employee.
During questioning, Choi acknowledged having sexual relations with the middle school student but denied the charges, saying he did not know she was a minor, according to police.
Police then asked Choi to submit his mobile phone. He said he would hand it over after having a private forensics firm examine it first — and subsequently failed to do so.
In the meantime, police uncovered evidence suggesting Choi had demanded that the victim send him nude photographs, prompting an expansion of the investigation.
With Choi still refusing to submit his phone, police determined they could no longer secure evidence through voluntary submission. On Wednesday they searched his council office, district office and residence, seizing his mobile phone and digital storage devices.
Key pieces of evidence central to establishing the facts of the case came into police hands roughly four months after the initial complaint was filed.
The delay has drawn criticism, with some questioning whether police were too slow to act.
Critics have raised concerns that the suspect may have used the time to destroy evidence or prepare a defense while investigators waited.
A police official said the outcome of the analysis of the seized materials "remains to be seen," while defending the handling of the case as consistent with investigative procedure.
However, the official acknowledged, "There is some regret that the evidence could have been secured earlier."
Choi is accused of having sexual relations with the middle school student on three occasions between October 2024 and last May — in a vehicle and at motels — and of demanding that she photograph herself nude and send him the images. The charges include statutory rape and production of child sexual exploitation material under the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth from Sexual Abuse.
Police believe Choi, who met the student through a chat app, solicited sex by offering money or cigarettes, and are investigating the full circumstances of the case.
The People Power Party's North Chungcheong Province ethics committee convened an emergency meeting Wednesday and voted to expel Choi from the party.
paq@heraldcorp.com
