Gunsan City Council building. [KBS Archive Photo]

Jin Hee-wan, former chairman of the Gunsan City Council, has been reported by a civic group on charges of illegal hiring as a contract employee.

The Committee for Measures for the People's Livelihood (Seominwi, Secretary-General Kim Soon-hwan) announced on the 29th that they have filed a complaint with the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency against Ko Dae-yong, president of Gunsan Nursing College, and Jin Hee-wan, former chairman of the Gunsan City Council, on charges of 'breach of trust,' 'violation of the Private School Act,' and 'violation of the Political Funds Act.' 

According to the complaint, Ko Dae-yong, president of Gunsan Nursing College, is suspected of illegally hiring Jin Hee-wan, former chairman of the Gunsan City Council, as a contract employee. Despite the job posting on December 24, 2024, specifying a retirement age of 60 for contract positions, Jin Hee-wan had already exceeded this age limit, rendering him ineligible and unable to perform full-time duties due to political activities.

Furthermore, regarding Jin's alleged irregular hiring, it was pointed out that "during his tenure at Gunsan Nursing College from May to June last year, he actively participated as the chief special advisor for the future strategy committee of a particular presidential candidate during the presidential election process, and therefore, he was not able to perform regular full-time duties as a contract employee of Gunsan Nursing College."

Additionally, it was argued, "Especially since Jin has been actively engaged in political activities, to the extent that he has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Gunsan mayoral election through the media since last year, the salary he received as a contract employee of Gunsan Nursing College can be considered political funds."

Seominwi stated, "This case is not a simple personnel irregularity or administrative error, but an organized and structural violation of the Political Funds Act, where a specific individual engaged in political activities was supported using the educational funds of a private university," and urged a swift and thorough investigation by the police. 

Meanwhile, Jin Hee-wan's side contacted this newspaper and argued, "It is true that I was hired as a contract employee at Gunsan Nursing College and received a salary, but it was not a condition of full-time employment, and since it was a salary based on employment, it is not a violation of the Political Funds Act."

Jin Hee-wan, who is reportedly planning to run for office, announced his candidacy for Gunsan mayor on December 15 last year.

Reporter Im Yo-hee