Jeonbuk Teachers' Union Chairman Jeong Jae-seok Investigated by Police for Alleged Election Law Violations

Jeong Jae-seok, chairman of the Jeonbuk Teachers' Union, announced he would suspend his education critique activities due to the legal pressure of an ongoing police investigation into alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act. In a post on his public social media on the 3rd, Jeong revealed that he was investigated by the Jeonju Wansan Police Station three days prior on suspicion of violating the 'act of disseminating false information for the purpose of losing an election'.

Jeong stated that if found guilty of these charges, he could face a minimum fine of 5 million won, directly addressing the legal pressure under the Public Official Election Act which mandates that teachers must leave the profession if a fine of 1 million won or more is finalized. The Jeonbuk Election Commission notified the police of the matters concerning Chairman Jeong twice, on April 30 and June 26. The notification on June 26 involved alleged violations of Articles 9(1), 60(1), and 250(2) of the Public Official Election Act.

Jeong announced he would pause his education critiques on Facebook for one month to recover his health and protect his teaching position. He is currently serving as a member of the National Education Committee's Public Opinion Gathering and Coordination Expert Committee, and his future status is expected to be determined based on the results of related procedures.