A current Seoul City councilman and a former district office executive have been charged with accepting bribes from market developers in exchange for preferential treatment.
A current city councilman in Seoul and a former district office official have been charged with accepting bribes related to a market maintenance project. The Seoul Central Police Agency reported that councilman 'A' from the People Power Party allegedly received a total of 10 million KRW in cash over two instances in September and October 2023 from two developers involved in the project. Meanwhile, former official 'B' is accused of receiving 4 million KRW. The councilman held a position on the committee that reviews market maintenance projects and has decision-making authority, including the ability to increase the permissible floor area ratio for such projects.
After the project was ultimately deemed invalid due to not meeting resident approval requirements set for 2024, disputes arose between the two developers involved. The police have gathered evidence, including recorded phone conversations, suggesting that they had conspired to deliver the bribes to both 'A' and 'B'. Following this, in August, police executed search warrants at the homes of both 'A' and 'B', paving the way for further investigation and legal action against the accused individuals.
