▲ Donghae Coast Guard
A fishing village chief has been referred to the prosecution for illegally leasing a seafood direct sales facility, which was built using taxpayer money, to an outsider.
The Donghae Coast Guard in Gangwon Province announced on June 22 that it has referred the chief of a fishing village in Samcheok, identified as A, to the prosecution without detention on charges of violating the Act on the Management of Local Government Subsidies, the Harbor Act, and fraud.
A is accused of leasing the seafood direct sales facility, which was built with local government subsidies, to an outside individual without approval from relevant authorities between March 2023 and December 2025.
The facility was constructed with approximately 550 million won in local government subsidies from Gangwon Province and Samcheok City, and it is classified as a significant asset funded by local subsidies and a facility subject to exclusive use permits under the Harbor Act.
However, investigations revealed that A, in his capacity as the representative of the fishing village, leased and operated the facility for an outsider without obtaining the necessary approvals or permits from the relevant agencies.
Upon identifying these circumstances, the Donghae Coast Guard confirmed the illegal activities through the analysis of relevant documents and questioning of involved parties before referring A to the prosecution.
Kim Hwan-kyung, Chief of the Donghae Coast Guard, stated, "As facilities built with local subsidies are public assets formed by taxpayers' money, they must be used in accordance with the permit conditions stipulated by relevant laws." He added, "We will continue to investigate illegal activities that undermine public interest, such as the unauthorized leasing of significant assets and the use of subsidies for purposes other than those intended."
(Photo: Provided by Donghae Coast Guard, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.