Police have transferred Choi Young-jung, a former Cheongju City Councilor, to prosecutors on charges of child prostitution.
According to legal sources on August 6, the Cheongju Cheongwon Police Station has applied charges against Choi for statutory rape of a minor, production of sexual exploitation materials, solicitation of sexual services, sexual conversations for exploitation, and coercion, mediation, and sexual harassment of minors under the Child Welfare Act.
Choi is accused of engaging in sexual relations with middle school students three times over the course of a year, starting in October 2024, in vehicles and motels, and demanding that they send nude photos.
He allegedly offered the victims additional money if they brought friends or sisters along and is reported to have shown them videos of sexual acts with other women. Additionally, he sent messages suggesting sexual relations with women of different nationalities, indicating a pattern of sexual harassment.
In response, police conducted simultaneous searches of Choi's office in the Cheongju City Council, his residence, and his vehicle's black box on July 15. They also collected internet usage records from his office PC.
Furthermore, police have identified another minor victim who may have been targeted by Choi around the same time and have initiated additional investigations.
During the police investigation, Choi submitted his cell phone, from which authorities discovered nude photos of a woman believed to be a minor in a school uniform, leading to an expansion of the investigation to include this individual as a victim.
However, Choi reportedly denied the charges, claiming he was unaware that the individuals were minors, despite admitting to the sexual encounters during police questioning.
On July 30, the Cheongju District Court conducted a pre-arrest hearing for Choi and issued a warrant, citing concerns over potential evidence destruction. Following the expiration of the detention period, police transferred Choi to prosecutors. Investigations into additional victims are expected to continue.
Choi, born in 1991, graduated from primary, middle, and high school in Cheongju and earned a degree in Korean Language and Literature from Paichai University. He entered politics by joining the People Power Party ahead of the 2022 presidential election.
He has since served as the vice chairman of the People Power Party's Chungbuk Provincial Party, the secretary of the Cheongju Seowon Party Committee, and the campaign manager for candidate Kim Moon-soo in the 21st presidential election. Choi was elected as a city councilor in Cheongju in the June local elections.
However, following the search and travel ban due to the child prostitution allegations, the People Power Party expelled Choi, who subsequently resigned from his position as a city councilor.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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