Politics · South Korea · 8 hrs ago
Jeonju opposition party calls for legal action over overstated finances
Jeonju’s Progressive Party is seeking legal accountability over the city’s finances under former mayor Woo Beom-gi.
A provincial audit found Jeonju had reported 67.5 billion won in spare funds despite a 50.9 billion won shortfall in 2025.
It also found that the city’s reported borrowing was 98 billion won higher than its actual budgeted bond issuance.
By March 2026, Jeonju’s debt ratio had risen to 22.5%, the highest level among South Korea’s basic local governments; including hidden obligations, it was 25.5%.
The provincial audit committee issued an institutional warning and told the city to prepare a long-term debt plan, but did not assign personal responsibility to Woo.
The party wants a separate investigation into possible legal violations and has called for the city and council to release records, protect public-service budgets and report those responsible.
The Progressive Party’s Jeonju branch called for legal action over alleged financial misstatements during former Mayor Woo Beom-ki’s term.
The party said an audit found that Jeonju overstated its available funds and the scale of its local bond issuance.
The audit found a 1,184-billion-won gap between the city’s actual 2025 available funds and the amount it reported.
The party said the audit committee’s institutional warning did not rule out individual legal responsibility.
It called for the relevant records to be released and for officials involved to be reported to authorities.
- Who
- The Progressive Party’s Jeonju branch called for action over the city’s finances. It named former Mayor Woo Beom-ki as a person whose responsibility should be examined.
- What
- The party called for a thorough investigation and legal action over alleged overstated financial figures.
- When
- The party issued its statement on November 10, 2026.
- Where
- Jeonju, South Korea.
- Why
- An audit found major discrepancies in reported available funds and local bond figures. The party said the findings warranted investigation into possible legal violations.
Progressive Party’s Jeonju branch
Jeonbuk Provincial Audit Committee
Individual responsibility
Progressive Party’s Jeonju branch
The party said the former mayor’s departure from office does not remove responsibility and called for investigation into his role.
Jeonbuk Provincial Audit Committee
The committee did not seek individual responsibility, citing that the issues occurred during the former mayor’s term.
Response to the findings
Progressive Party’s Jeonju branch
The party called for separate investigations into suspected legal violations and for relevant officials to be reported.
Jeonbuk Provincial Audit Committee
The committee issued an institutional warning and instructed the city to prepare a mid- to long-term debt management plan.
Jeonju’s actual available funds were 509 billion won below the amount needed, according to the audit findings.
The city’s debt ratio was 22.5%, with managed debt of 681.9 billion won, according to the article.
The Progressive Party’s Jeonju branch issued a statement calling for a thorough investigation and legal accountability.
- Available funds
- Actual shortfall of 509 billion won in 2025
- Reported available funds
- 675 billion won in surplus
- Difference
- 1,184 billion won
- Bond issuance estimate
- 980 billion won above the actual main-budget issuance
- Debt ratio
- 22.5% as of March 2026; 25.5% including hidden liabilities
1 source
What people are saying
A mayor’s departure does not make responsibility disappear, and leaving office cannot be grounds for exemption.
The final responsibility for investment review requests and approvals rested with the mayor, and it must be thoroughly established whether the mayor was informed of the funding shortfall at the time and whether there was preparation, direction or acquiescence in the incorrect materials.