Former Jeju Provincial Councilor Kang Kyung-heum Fined for Prostitution During Term

Kang Kyung-heum (강경흠), a former councilor of Jeju, has received a confirmed fine for engaging in prostitution while in office. According to legal sources on December 11, 2024, both Kang and the prosecution did not file an appeal after he was sentenced to a fine of 2 million KRW in the first trial for violating the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Prostitution and Mediation.

Kang was charged after an incident on January 27, 2023, when he was found drinking at a bar in Jeju City and subsequently moved to a nearby accommodation with a foreign woman who worked there. Two days later, on January 29, he transferred 800,000 KRW to the bar owner, covering both the drinks and the prostitution services. At the time, Kang was still serving as a councilor.

Elected as the youngest councilor in Jeju during the 8th nationwide local elections, Kang had previously faced legal issues, receiving an 8 million KRW fine for drunk driving in February 2023. Following the emergence of the prostitution allegations shortly after the drunk driving incident, the Democratic Party of Korea's Jeju chapter held an ethics committee meeting and expelled Kang from the party, leading to his resignation from the council.