It was found that Goesan County in North Chungcheong Province did not discipline and even paid wages to an employee who had been arrested on charges of leaking the personal information of the perpetrators in the Miryang sexual assault case that occurred more than 20 years ago to her YouTuber husband.
According to the results of a comprehensive audit of Goesan County released by North Chungcheong Province on the 19th, the county was notified by prosecutors that level-7 public official A was arrested and indicted in Sep. 2024 on charges including violating the Personal Information Protection Act.
A is accused of illegally looking up the personal information—including resident registration numbers and addresses—of dozens of people, including the perpetrators of the Miryang sexual assault case, and providing it to Jeon Tu-tokki, her husband and a YouTuber.
However, the county did not request a disciplinary decision, citing the prosecution's refusal to allow access to investigation records. It also took no particular action until May last year, when A was sentenced at the first trial to two years in prison, suspended for three years, which constitutes grounds for automatic dismissal.
In Sep. of the same year, when North Chungcheong Province began its audit, the county belatedly requested a disciplinary decision against A, but A received a finalized sentence of two years in prison, suspended for three years, in the appeals trial as well, and was processed for automatic dismissal without discipline.
Under the Local Public Officials Act, a public official must retire if a sentence of imprisonment or heavier (including suspended sentences) is finalized. A was excluded from duties at the time, but it was confirmed that about 13 million won in wages was paid during this period.
North Chungcheong Province issued a caution to the department in charge for failing to follow disciplinary procedures and urged measures to prevent a recurrence.