South Korean civic groups demand investigation into Gangwon Governor

Civic groups in Gangwon Province, including the Gangneung Love Movement Headquarters and the Gangwon Freedom Fair Solidarity, held a protest in front of the Gangwon Provincial Police Agency on the 19th. They are calling for a swift investigation into Governor Woo Sang-ho regarding allegations of violating the Public Official Election Act by spreading false information.

The controversy stems from the Governor's announcement during the June 3 local elections, where he claimed to have successfully secured a Gangneung AI data center project involving an investment of up to 70 trillion won and the creation of 200,000 jobs in cooperation with one of South Korea's top five conglomerates.

Following his election, concerns arose regarding the veracity of these claims as the project's scale was reportedly adjusted from an initial 1GW to a phased approach starting at 400MW, alongside issues regarding power supply constraints and substation requirements. The civic groups have urged police to investigate the existence of actual investment commitment letters or MOUs, the basis for the projected investment and job figures, and power supply consultation data. The statute of limitations for the election crime is set to expire in early December.