Jeong Euihan, Accused of Staging Attack, Appears for Detention Warrant Hearing...Decision Expected as Early as This Afternoon

"I will clarify the facts in court"
Detention decision expected as early as this afternoon

Jeong Euihan, the former Busan mayoral candidate from the Reform New Party, who faces allegations of staging an attack during the 6·3 local elections, appeared for a pretrial detention hearing.

Yonhap News Agency

On July 8 at approximately 1:55 p.m., Jeong appeared at the Busan District Court for a pretrial detention hearing on charges including obstruction of official duties by fraudulent means and violation of the Public Official Election Act.

Dressed in a suit, Jeong responded, "I'm sorry," when asked whether he admitted to staging the incident, adding, "I will clarify all the facts in court."

He continued, "I once again apologize and will do my utmost to cooperate diligently with the investigation."

Previously, on April 27, Jeong claimed that while campaigning near the Guseo Interchange in Geumjeong-gu, Busan, he collapsed after being hit by a beverage thrown from a passing car by a driver who said, "What is a youngster doing running for mayor?" At the time, Jeong's campaign stated that he lost consciousness after trying to dodge the drink, was taken to the hospital, and was diagnosed with a concussion and muscle contusion.

However, a police investigation revealed that the individual who threw the drink, identified as Mr. A, was actually an acquaintance of Jeong—a gym trainer and director. Police have therefore investigated whether Jeong and Mr. A staged the so-called 'terror attack' incident during the campaign, looking into their relationship, any communications before and after the incident, and the possibility of collusion.

In the course of the investigation, a criminal complaint was filed with the police requesting a probe into possible violations of the Medical Service Act regarding how Jeong obtained medical certificates. Jeong's campaign stated that he was hospitalized at a hospital operated by his father, where he was diagnosed with a concussion and muscle contusion, and that "Jeong temporarily lost consciousness at the scene out of fear that it might have been a toxic substance attack." A police official also stated that they intend to investigate the complaint regarding a possible violation of the Medical Service Act.

Jeong submitted a withdrawal from the party before the allegations of staging the incident were reported in the media, and after the election, announced his retirement from politics via social networking services (SNS). In the 6·3 local elections for Busan mayor, Jeong received 27,418 votes, placing third with a vote share of 1.56%.

Meanwhile, the court is expected to decide as early as late this afternoon whether to approve the detention of Jeong and one other individual.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.