Choi Young-jung, a former Cheongju city councilman facing charges of child sexual exploitation, leaves the Cheongju Cheongwon Police Station in the early hours of Wednesday after being questioned as a suspect for 15 hours. [Yonhap]
Choi Young-jung, a former Cheongju city councilman facing charges of child sexual exploitation, leaves the Cheongju Cheongwon Police Station in the early hours of Wednesday after being questioned as a suspect for 15 hours. [Yonhap]

New evidence has emerged suggesting that Choi Young-jung, a former Cheongju city councilman facing child sexual exploitation charges, knew his victim was a minor — contradicting his repeated denials.

Police have secured multiple pieces of circumstantial evidence indicating that Choi knew the victim was underage when he met her, according to Yonhap TV on Thursday.

Investigators found that Choi had visited the area near the victim's school and had seen photos that revealed she was a middle school student. Police also confirmed that Choi met the victim while she was wearing a "lifestyle uniform," a type of school uniform worn during non-class hours.

Choi is accused of having sexual relations with the middle school student on three occasions over roughly a year beginning in October 2024, in a vehicle and at motels, and of demanding that she send him nude photographs. He faces charges under the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth Against Sex Offenses, including quasi-rape of a minor, production of sexual exploitation material, solicitation of sexual services and grooming communications.

He is also accused of offering the victim money to bring her friends and an older female acquaintance to meet him, and of showing her a video of himself having sex with another woman.

After the case became public, Choi denied the charges, saying he had sexual relations with the victim but was unaware she was a minor.

He also faces allegations of evidence tampering — including replacing his mobile phone during the investigation and deleting some data from a privately commissioned forensic report that he voluntarily submitted after a police search and seizure.

Police have applied for an arrest warrant and a one-year communications warrant against Choi. Prosecutors have also filed the same warrant requests with the court.

A pre-arrest hearing for Choi is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday at the Cheongju District Court.


yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com