Police are expanding their investigation into Choi Young-jung, a former Cheongju city council member accused of child prostitution. During a forensic review of a cellphone, police secured nude photos of another woman who is not the existing victim and are looking into the possibility of additional crimes.
According to Yonhap News on Jan. 3, police found nude photos of another woman while forensically examining a cellphone Choi voluntarily submitted. The woman in the photos is a different person from the middle school student who is the existing victim and was reportedly wearing clothing similar to a school uniform. The photos were said to have been identified in messenger exchanges between Choi and the woman.
Police suspect the woman may be an additional victim. To secure related chat content and other evidence, they reportedly halted the forensic procedure, obtained a new search and seizure warrant, and continued the investigation. Based on the materials obtained, they plan to verify the relationship between Choi and the woman and whether there were additional crimes.
Police are not ruling out the possibility that there are more victims. They are said to be checking for further offenses by analyzing Choi's communications over the past year and his financial transaction records.
A police official said, "We cannot confirm specific details as we are currently investigating," adding, "We are closely reviewing the overall crimes, including further offenses."
Choi is accused of having sex with a middle school student in exchange for money or valuables three times over about a year from Oct. 2024, in places including a car and a motel. He is also accused of demanding that the victim take and send nude photos and of proposing to pay more if she brought a friend or older sister. He is also under investigation on suspicion of showing a video of sex with another woman or sending messages suggesting having sex with a woman of foreign nationality together.
Choi admits to having had sex but denies the charges, saying he did not know the victim was a minor.