Mayor Of Busan Charged With Making False Statements In Election Campaign - Reports

Mayor of Busan Charged With Making False Statements in Election Campaign - Reports

The mayor of Busan, South Korea's second largest city, was charged with election law violations for making false statements during a campaign, the Yonhap news agency reported

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th October, 2021) The mayor of Busan, South Korea's second largest city, was charged with election law violations for making false statements during a campaign, the Yonhap news agency reported.

In the run-up to the April election, Park Heong-joon was accused of having a role in the National Intelligence Service (NIS)'s surveillance of environmentalists who pushed back against a large river restoration project in 2009. At the time he was the chief for public relations for then-President Lee Myung-bak.

Park, a member of the opposition People Power Party, dismissed the claims, though a report submitted by the NIS to a ruling party lawmaker says the spy agency briefed him on its activities in connection with the eco-activists.

The politician is now charged with violating the election law. The probe was brought on by a complaint from the ruling Democratic Party (DP).

Park took office in April after defeating his DP opponents in the election. His tenure ends in June 2022.