Whistleblower plans to file police complaint over subsidy embezzlement allegations
A petition calling for the revocation of a civic award has been filed in Suncheon amid controversy over the city's selection of a 67-year-old man, identified only as A, as the recipient of the 2026 Suncheon Citizen Award ahead of Citizen's Day on Thursday.
The petition alleges that A, who served as secretary-general of the Suncheon City Rural Leaders Federation, embezzled city subsidies during his 16-year tenure and demands that the award be withdrawn.
The whistleblower also claims that after submitting the petition to the city, his identity was exposed and he faced retaliation — an incident he says constitutes a violation of personal information protection law and the unauthorized disclosure of official secrets by a civil servant.
According to the tip, A served as a non-standing secretary-general for an extended period and handed over his duties to a successor without providing any ledgers, bank statements or receipts.
The organization received annual subsidies and matching funds from Suncheon totaling 11 million won ($8,210), along with separate sponsorship money, disbursing around 200 million won over 16 years.
The core problem, according to the allegations, is that no supporting documentation exists for any of those 16 years. Subsidy balances were reportedly not returned to the city; instead, funds were transferred to a personal bank account under the pretext of zeroing out the balance — a practice the whistleblower describes as riddled with irregularities.
"The Citizen Award should go to someone who makes citizens proud," said the whistleblower, who requested anonymity. "After much deliberation, I decided to come forward in the public interest because someone with these kinds of allegations is being given the award." The whistleblower plans to file a complaint against A with police.
A denied wrongdoing, saying he transferred funds to a personal account only to bring the subsidy account balance to zero, and that the city conducted annual audits of subsidy records without finding any problems. "I didn't execute the funds alone as secretary-general — I consulted with the chairman," he said. "If a complaint is filed, I will provide a thorough explanation."
A Suncheon city official said the city cannot revoke the award based on allegations alone. "Unless the allegations are confirmed through an investigation, we have no grounds at this point to withdraw the selection," the official said.
Neighboring Gwangyang is facing similar criticism after selecting a former lawmaker, identified as B, as its Citizen Award recipient — a person with a drunk-driving record and a prior incident in which he bit a fellow lawmaker's ear during a drinking gathering.
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