More than 10 people, including Incheon Seo-gu council member, under investigation for allegedly inflating airfare costs (South Korea)

Police have launched an investigation following the findings of an investigation by the Civil Rights Commission into the Democratic Party of Korea that members of the Seo-gu District Council in Incheon, South Korea, inflated the cost of airfare for overseas business trips.
The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency is investigating about 10 people, including a Seo-gu council member, a public servant, and a travel agency employee, for allegedly inflating and misappropriating airfare expenses for overseas business trips.
On the 8th, the police announced that they were conducting an investigation. The police reportedly began their investigation after receiving a request from the National Civil Rights Commission in March of this year to investigate the West District assembly members and public officials.
"We are currently investigating the facts of the case," the department said. "Once relevant evidence is confirmed, we will consider whether to apply charges such as professional embezzlement and fraud, and will file charges."
Last year, while inspecting the overseas business trips of local assemblies, the National Human Rights Committee found that the Nishi Ward Assembly had overspent on airfares among the overseas business trip expenses of its assembly members.
The association believes that travel agencies and others manipulated airfares (and other prices) to inflate the prices, received money from the assembly, and then diverted part of it for other purposes, and has asked the police to investigate.
The survey period was from January 2022 to May 2023, during which there were four overseas business trips by Nishi Ward council members.
Nishi Ward council members did not make any overseas business trips in 2022, and only made one in 2023 (December 18-
The five lawmakers who attended the meeting (on the 21st, while on a business trip to Japan) were Lee Han-jung, Shim Woo-chan, Kim Dong Hee-yook, Yoo Eun-hee, and Jang Moon-jung.
In 2023, the group was divided into three teams and made overseas trips. From April 29 to May 5, the group made a trip to Taiwan and Singapore (8 members), and from May 2 to
From the 2nd to the 28th, there was a business trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi (five participants), and from May 27th to June 4th, there was a business trip to the Netherlands, Belgium, and France (four participants).
Police are investigating the possibility that some of the four overseas business trips involved fraudulent manipulation of air tickets. However, as the police are currently conducting an internal investigation,
The police have not disclosed details of the charges, such as which business trips are the subject of the investigation. A police official said, "We are currently investigating the matter, so we cannot disclose information about those involved in the case, the details of the business trips, or the related charges."
He said.