[Exclusive] ‘Former Spouse Recruitment Allegations’ Heo Jeong-mi Bupyeong District Council Ethics Committee Activated… Full-scale Review Commences

The Ethics Committee has officially commenced activities regarding Heo Jeong-mi, the Chairperson of the Urban Environment Committee of Bupyeong District Council, who has been requested for disciplinary action due to allegations of inappropriate hiring of a former spouse and receipt of tax salary.

The Bupyeong District Council Ethics Committee (Chairperson Jeong Ye-ji) convened its first meeting at 10 a.m. on the 20th to discuss the disciplinary procedures against the councillor and the direction of future reviews. The meeting was held in private due to the sensitivity of the matter, with only Chairperson Jeong Ye-ji and the ethics committee members present to finalize the detailed operational schedule.

This ethics committee was formed after the disciplinary request submitted by eight councillors, including Jeong Han-sol, was officially referred to the plenary session.

The main issue at hand is whether there was a conflict of interest in the process where A, the former spouse of Councillor Heo, received over 17 million won in tax salary through projects related to the committee under her jurisdiction. Additionally, the allegations of external pressure in the hiring process of A at the Bupyeong District Facility Management Corporation raised by the investigative media outlet News Hada are expected to be a key variable in the review scope.

During the meeting, Councillor Yeom Myung-ja proposed adding a request for the attendance of relevant public officials to the agenda for clearer fact-finding, which was unanimously adopted by the committee. Consequently, testimonies from current public officials are expected to be pivotal in clarifying the allegations during the review process.

According to comprehensive coverage by the Autonomous Legislative Briefing, the ethics committee plans to hold about three more meetings in the future.

The plan is to ensure the objectivity and fairness of the disciplinary action through the statements of the accused Councillor Heo Jeong-mi and the complainant Councillor Jeong Han-sol, as well as consultations with the ‘Ethics Review Advisory Committee’ composed of private experts. The committee is expected to conduct the entire review process in private, with the final decision-making meeting being the only one to be held publicly.

Previously, Councillor Heo had maintained a strong stance, threatening legal action such as defamation against fellow councillors who raised the allegations during the 274th extraordinary session plenary meeting. However, local civic groups and residents are urging severe punishment, stating that the mere suspicion of using residents' tax money to support the livelihood of a former spouse constitutes a serious violation of the duty to maintain dignity as a public official.

As the Bupyeong District Council Ethics Committee faces intense criticism from the community, all eyes are on what conclusion it will draw, as well as the upcoming clarification procedures and recommendations from the advisory committee in the local political arena.