In the June 3 local elections, the average wealth of 563 newly elected officials was reported at 1.35 billion won. Choi Gi-young, the mayor of Bonghwa County in North Gyeongsang Province, topped the list with over 3.49 billion won in reported assets, while Kim Sang-wook, the mayor of Ulsan, reported 500 million won, making him the wealthiest among metropolitan leaders.
The Government Public Officials Ethics Committee disclosed the asset registration details of 563 newly elected officials, including 13 metropolitan mayors, 9 education superintendents, 98 local government heads, and 443 regional council members, through the official gazette on September 29.
The disclosure includes newly elected officials under the committee's jurisdiction, as well as 586 retired elected officials and 110 non-elected officials.
According to Article 10 of the Public Officials Ethics Act, the committee is required to publish asset registration details within one month after the two-month registration period ends. Those who were re-elected while maintaining their positions are excluded, and the asset details of local council members are disclosed separately by the respective regional ethics committees.
The average wealth of newly elected officials by position is as follows: metropolitan mayors (13) at 1.99 billion won, education superintendents (9) at 2.11 billion won, local government heads (98) at 1.70 billion won, and regional council members (443) at 1.24 billion won.
In total assets, Choi Gi-young, the mayor of Bonghwa County, reported the highest at 3.49 billion won. He was followed by Yoon Yu-jin, a member of the Seoul City Council, with 1.56 billion won, and Kim Su-mun, a member of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, with 1.49 billion won.
Among metropolitan leaders, Kim Sang-wook of Ulsan reported the highest assets at 502.5 million won, followed by Choo Kyung-ho, the mayor of Daegu, with 428.1 million won, and Choo Mi-ae, the governor of Gyeonggi Province, with 369.76 million won.
The committee plans to complete its review of the asset declarations of all public officials disclosed within three months, by the end of December.
During the review process, if any official is found to have falsely reported their assets or omitted significant information due to gross negligence, or if they have used confidential information for personal gain, the committee will take strict legal action, including warnings, corrective measures, and fines.
Cheon Ji-yoon, the committee's secretary (Director of the Ethics and Service Bureau at the Human Resources Innovation Office), stated, "The asset registration and disclosure under the Public Officials Ethics Act is a core system of public ethics. We will rigorously review the registered assets to ensure that elected officials can earn the trust of their communities."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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