Ex-Councilor Choi Facing Minor Sex Trade Charges, Allowance Payout & Audit

[26.07.24] Former Cheongju City Councilor Choi Young-jung Facing Middle Schooler Sex Trade, 16-Day Allowance Payout, and Botched Investigation Allegations

Former Cheongju City Councilor Choi Young-jung abruptly resigned just 15 days into his term while under investigation for soliciting sex from a middle school student, producing sexually explicit materials, and forcing the victim to watch illegal recordings. Here is a summary of the case, covering his concealed criminal charges during the campaign, controversial receipt of council allowances and campaign reimbursement claims, internal police audits for negligence, and a complaint filed with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO).

1. Minor Prostitution & Exploitation Charges, Followed by Resignation 15 Days into Term

Former Cheongju City Councilor Choi Young-jung (35), who was under police investigation for alleged minor prostitution and the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM)—a violation of the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth Against Sex Crimes—submitted his resignation shortly after law enforcement initiated forced investigative measures. Over approximately one year starting in October 2024, Choi allegedly engaged in three instances of paid sexual acts (prostitution) with a middle school student, victim A, whom he met via an anonymous mobile chat app, offering money and gifts in exchange at hotels and inside his vehicle.

Crucially, during the investigation, additional evidence surfaced indicating that Choi received and stored nude photos and bodily footage from the minor, as well as unlawfully filming sexual acts himself. These findings led to a significant expansion of his charges to include producing and possessing sexually exploitative materials. On July 16—just one day after police executed search warrants on his home and council office, and merely 15 days after his term commenced on July 1—Choi's resignation was officially accepted. It was reported that the suspect voluntarily resigned upon determining that public exposure made it impossible to fulfill his official duties. During police questioning, Choi admitted to soliciting sex but denied portions of the charges, claiming he was unaware the victim was a minor.

Moreover, Choi concealed the fact that he had been reported and was under active investigation since March, proceeding to run in the June 3 local elections under the People Power Party nomination and winning a seat. The belated revelation sparked intense public outrage and sharp criticism from local political and civic groups regarding flaws in the candidate vetting process. His resignation reduced the total seats in the Cheongju City Council from 45 to 44, bringing the People Power Party's tally down to 17. In accordance with the Local Autonomy Act and the Public Official Election Act, the vacancy was reported to the local Election Commission, initiating procedures for a by-election. The North Chungcheong Provincial Chapter of the People Power Party immediately convened an ethics committee, expelled Choi, and issued a formal public apology.

Following search warrants regarding 3 instances of minor prostitution and CSAM creation/possession charges, Choi abruptly resigned 15 days into his tenure, triggering official by-election procedures.

2. Forced Viewing of Illicit Videos & Expansion of the Investigation

Further police inquiries revealed that Choi forced victim A to watch illicitly filmed videos of sexual acts between himself and other individuals. In addition to sex trade and CSAM charges, authorities are thoroughly reviewing the applicability of child abuse charges under the Child Welfare Act due to the psychological distress and pressure inflicted on the victim. The minor stated that the suspect coerced her into viewing multiple explicit videos, causing severe emotional intimidation.

Investigators also obtained evidence that Choi enticed the victim by offering extra financial rewards if she introduced her friends or acquaintances for similar arrangements. Given the nature of anonymous chat applications and the suspect's calculated method, the investigation team considers the risk of ongoing offenses to be high. The police submitted Choi's seized smartphones and digital devices to forensic experts at the National Forensic Service and dedicated units. Concurrently, bank account traces and communication logs are being analyzed to determine whether sexually explicit materials were distributed and if additional minor victims exist.

Evidence of forced viewing of illicit recordings and referral offers prompted reviews for additional child abuse charges, alongside forensic and financial traces for further victims.

3. 16-Day Council Allowance Payout & Campaign Expense Claims

Despite performing virtually no legislative duties during his brief 16-day tenure, Choi was paid approximately 2.3 million KRW (around $1,700 USD) in council allowances for his 16 days in office under existing payout regulations. To add to public outrage, it was confirmed that Choi submitted a claim to the North Chungcheong Election Commission seeking approximately 40 million KRW (~$30,000 USD) in campaign expense reimbursements—a statutory process covering promotional costs and campaign worker wages incurred during the election.

In response, local civic coalitions, including the North Chungcheong Women's Association, alongside the North Chungcheong Chapter of the Democratic Party of Korea, issued immediate statements demanding the immediate refund of the paid council allowances and the voluntary withdrawal of the reimbursement claim. Protests erupted outside the city council calling for ordinances to reclaim public funds paid to serious criminal suspects.

However, under Article 7 of the current Cheongju City Council Ordinance, allowance restrictions apply strictly to councilors who are 'under custody following an indictment.' Because Choi was not detained and voluntarily resigned, there was no legal basis to withhold or claw back his stipend, resulting in the payout being executed as scheduled. Consequently, the Cheongju City Council has begun reviewing amendments to its bylaws to restrict and recover allowances for councilors who resign voluntarily due to severe misconduct or pre-indictment investigations.

Loophole in council bylaws allowed the payout of 2.3M KRW for 16 days in office and a 40M KRW election expense claim, provoking severe public backlash.

4. Delayed Police Response & Clerical Errors in Search Warrants (Botched Investigation Allegations)

The police received the initial complaint from the victim's family in February but conducted their first interrogation of Choi three months later in May. The investigation was delayed as the suspect repeatedly postponed appearances citing defense counsel selection and private forensic submissions, drawing criticism over sluggish initial response and scheduling failures.

Severe flaws emerged when police mislabeled Choi's occupation as 'Company Employee' instead of 'City Councilor' on search warrant applications and listed his father's office address rather than his actual residence or council office, leading prosecution to reject the warrants and demand supplementary investigations.

On the day search warrants were executed, an unrelated police unit mistakenly applied for an arrest warrant only to withdraw it hours later, causing serious procedural confusion. Consequently, the Internal Audit Bureau of the National Police Agency launched an official audit into the Cheongju Cheongwon Police Station over clerical errors, warrant applications, and sudden withdrawals.

Audit underway by the National Police Agency over delayed interrogations, erroneous warrant details (occupation/address), and same-day arrest warrant withdrawals.

5. Prosecution Warrant Rejections & CIO Complaint Filed by Lawmakers

Friction escalated between law enforcement agencies after prosecutors rejected a 1-year communication tracking warrant requested by police to identify additional victims and obtain call logs. Prosecution cited concerns over potential 'fishing expeditions' and lack of direct relevance to the primary charges, emphasizing that investigations must focus on confirmed offenses first, which temporarily stalled broader data collection.

In response, a group of 11 National Assembly members (including Rep. Hwang Un-ha of the Rebuilding Korea Party) filed a formal complaint with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) against prosecutors at the Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office for abuse of authority and willful neglect of duty. The lawmakers argued that prosecutors improperly obstructed and pressured a critical investigation into sex crimes against minors.

Prosecution officials countered that the request was a standard demand for supplementary investigation to ensure evidence admissibility in court, adding that a data preservation request had already been served to telecommunication carriers. Police plan to review requesting an arrest warrant once digital forensic analysis of Choi's mobile phones is finalized.

Category	Key Details & Summary Facts
1. Incident & Resignation	Ex-councilor Choi Young-jung, accused of 3 minor prostitution acts and CSAM production, concealed investigation during campaign, elected, and resigned 15 days into term (By-election pending).
2. Expanded Probe	Forced viewing of illicit recordings confirmed; child abuse charges under review alongside digital forensics and account tracking for extra victims.
3. Allowances & Claims	Regulatory loopholes enabled ~2.3M KRW payout for 16 days in office alongside a 40M KRW election reimbursement claim, triggering public anger.
4. Internal Police Audit	National Police Agency launched an audit into the investigation team over delayed questioning, warrant clerical errors, and arbitrary warrant withdrawals.
5. Prosecution & CIO Complaint	Following prosecution's rejection of communication warrants, 11 lawmakers filed a complaint with the CIO against prosecutors for abuse of power.

[Key Takeaways] 5 Summary Points on Former Councilor Choi Young-jung's Case

1. Minor Prostitution & Exploitation: Accused of 3 paid sexual encounters with a middle school student met via chat app and creating/possessing CSAM.

2. Resignation in 15 Days: Ran for office while concealing an active police probe, then abruptly resigned the day after police executed search warrants.

3. Allowance & Claim Controversy: Collected ~2.3M KRW in council pay for 16 days and submitted a ~40M KRW campaign expense reimbursement claim.

4. Botched Investigation Audit: Under police internal audit for erroneous warrant details (job title/address) and same-day arrest warrant withdrawals.

5. CIO Escalation: 11 National Assembly members reported local prosecutors to the CIO following the rejection of telecommunication warrants.

Related Tags (9): July 24 2026, Choi Young-jung, Cheongju City Council, Minor Prostitution, CSAM Production, Investigation Progress, Allowance Payout, Election Expense Reimbursement, CIO Complaint