Dozens of candidates hoping to stand for office in upcoming South Korean local elections have gambling convictions, media outlets in the country report.
The South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo explained that it conducted a comprehensive check of the criminal records of all 6,867 preliminary candidates for local councilors registered with the National Election Commission ahead of the June 3 elections.
This probe revealed that 2,477 of the candidates, or 36.1%, had convictions. And almost half of the 53 preliminary candidates hoping to run for the position of heads of local government in Gangwon Province have criminal records, the South Korean newspaper Gangwon Ilbo reported.
The vast majority of these candidates, all unnamed in the report, have been found guilty of traffic-related violations, such as drunk-driving. But around 10 of the candidates have convictions for habitual gambling, fraud, forgery of official documents, and bribery.
One of the candidates’ records includes multiple gambling and assault convictions, the newspaper added.
Gambling Convictions: Candidates in the Spotlight
South Korea goes to the polls on June 3. Four thousand local council seats are up for grabs. Voters must also pick new local education leaders, mayors, and local government leaders.
Gangwon Province is home to High1, the only casino in the country that admits domestic passport holders.
The issue is not restricted to Gangwon Province, the South Korean newspaper Kookmin Ilbo reported. Many of the candidates represent major political parties, the newspaper wrote.
In its editorial piece, the newspaper said many have been convicted of “heinous crimes.” These include habitual gambling and sexual harassment convictions, the newspaper explained.
“It remains to be seen how many individuals with criminal histories will be filtered out ahead of June 3,” the newspaper’s editors wrote.
Gambling Convict Eyes Fourth Term
WikiTree reported that one of the candidates, a man aged in his 70s, is running for his fourth term as a metropolitan council member.
This individual’s criminal record includes convictions for habitual gambling, securities forgery, and fraud.
The record shows that a court ordered him to serve a suspended three-year jail sentence for his crimes.
Another male candidate also served a suspended sentence for “forcibly molesting a woman at a public event,” the same media outlet reported.
Civil servants face serious career setbacks if they commit illegal acts, an unnamed Seoul-based public official told the Chosun Ilbo. The official added: “Citizens keep electing local council members who have committed multiple offenses. It’s disheartening.”
Earlier this month, a Chuncheon audit determined that nine civil servants duped hundreds of victims out of over $18.2 million.
The civil servants allegedly took part in a bogus sports betting scam that promised patrons “guaranteed returns.”
The post Scores of South Korean Election Candidates Have Gambling Convictions appeared first on CasinoBeats.
Dozens of candidates hoping to stand for office in upcoming South Korean local elections have gambling convictions, media outlets in the country report. The South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo explained that it conducted a comprehensive check of the criminal records of all 6,867 preliminary candidates for local councilors registered with the National Election Commission ahead
The post Scores of South Korean Election Candidates Have Gambling Convictions appeared first on CasinoBeats.