Former Hwaseong Mayor Choi Young-keun Files Objection to Saenuri Party Cutoff

Former Hwaseong Mayor Choi Young-keun has filed an objection with the Saenuri Party's central headquarters on the 15th in protest of his elimination from the party's primary cutoff (preliminary nomination screening).

The former mayor was reportedly eliminated from the Saenuri Party's preliminary candidate cutoff due to his ongoing trial on charges of abuse of authority.

During his tenure as mayor from 2008 to 2009, Choi was sentenced to eight months imprisonment with a two-year suspended sentence in the first trial on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of rights for allegedly instructing a specific employee's work performance ranking list to be altered. He has since appealed the ruling.

At the appellate hearing held on the 8th, the former mayor reversed his previous position of asserting innocence and admitted to the charges. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for the 24th.

Meanwhile, in the Saenuri Party's primary candidate cutoff announced on the 13th for the Hwaseong mayor position, four candidates—Geum Jong-rye, Park Young-shik, Lim Jang-keun, and Choi Hyung-keun—passed, while five candidates—Kim Seung-il, Choi Young-keun, Jung Yeon-gu, Kim Young-ki, and Shin Byung-chul—were eliminated.