Jeonbuk Superintendent of Education Cheon Ho-sung was investigated as a suspect of violating the Public Official Election Act at Jeonju Wansan Police Station from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the 17th for about 10 hours.
The police focused on whether Superintendent Cheon organized systematic pre-election activities in a private Telegram chatroom called 'Cheon Sarangbang' involving current teachers, principals, and officials of Jeonbuk Education Office since August last year, and whether he was aware of or conspired in the involvement of current teachers in election campaigns. The suspicion was first raised by the campaign of Lee Nam-ho, a competing candidate in the Superintendent election process in May, and a complaint containing evidence of discussions on election strategies, text messaging, opinion polls, and media responses in the chatroom was submitted to the police.
The police previously summoned a current teacher, Mr. A, who was identified as being involved in the establishment and operation of the chatroom for questioning twice last month and this month. Superintendent Cheon's side has been refuting that the chatroom was not an organization for pre-election activities but a preparation room for the election, and that current teachers and officials were only providing policy advice. It was reported that Superintendent Cheon denied all allegations during this investigation as well.
천호성 전북교육감, 선거법 위반 혐의로 경찰 소환…10시간 조사
천호성 전북교육감이 지난 17일 오전 9시부터 오후 7시까지 약 10시간 동안 전주완산경찰서에서 공직선거법 위반 혐의 피의자로 조사를 받았다.
경찰은 천 교육감이 지난해 8월부터 현직 교사, 교장, 전북교육청 공무원 등이 참여한 비공개 텔레그램 대화방 '천사랑방'에서 조직적인 사전선거운동을 벌였는지, 현직 교원의 선거운동 관여 사실을 알았거나 공모했는지를 집중 조사했다. 해당 의혹은 지난 5월 교육감 선거 과정에서 경쟁 후보였던 이남호 후보 측이 처음 제기했으며, 대화방에서 선거전략 기획, 문자 발송, 여론조사·언론 대응 등이 논의됐다는 정황이 담긴 고발장이 경찰에 접수됐다.
경찰은 앞서 대화방 개설·운영에 관여한 것으로 지목된 현직 교사 A씨를 지난달과 이달 두 차례 소환 조사했다. 천 교육감 측은 해당 방이 "사전선거운동 조직이 아니라 선거 준비를 위한 사전준비방"이며 현직 교원과 공무원은 "정책 자문 역할을 했을 뿐"이라고 반박해왔고, 이번 조사에서도 모든 혐의를 부인한 것으로 전해졌다.