Photo : YONHAP News
Police have requested a pre-trial detention warrant for North Chungcheong Governor Kim Young-hwan, who is accused of receiving tens of millions of won in bribes from figures in the local sports community.
The anti-corruption crime investigation unit of the North Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency said on Tuesday that it sought the warrant for Kim on charges of violating the anti-graft law and engaging in misconduct.
Kim is accused of receiving a total of eleven million won from regional sports officials, including Yoon Hyun-woo, Chairman of the Chungcheongbuk-do Sports Council, ahead of overseas trips to the United States and Japan last year.
The governor is also suspected of having a sports figure cover 20 million won in interior design costs for his cabin in Goesan in 2024, allegedly in return for business favors.
Kim and Yoon have denied the allegations, saying they did not exchange any money or valuables.
Meanwhile, Kim has protested his elimination from the main opposition People Power Party’s list of nominees for the June local elections, vowing to run as an independent candidate.