A national badminton tournament held in Yeongam County, South Jeolla Province, drew prominent figures including Yeongam County Governor Woo Seung-hee, alongside badminton legend Cho Hun-hyun, on its opening day, according to reports from the Daily Sport Hankook newspaper.
The inaugural Cho Hun-hyun National Badminton Tournament saw participation from key figures in both the sporting and political spheres. Alongside Cho Hun-hyun, a nine-dan professional badminton player, attendees included Lee Bong-yeong, president of the Yeongam County Sports Council, Ko Cheon-soo, a member of the Yeongam County Council, Kim Myeong-do, president of the Jeolla-do Badminton Association, and Yang Jae-ho, secretary-general of the Korea Badminton Association.
Woo Seung-hee’s presence at the event comes amid ongoing legal scrutiny. In September 2024, the Gwangju High Court upheld a previous ruling, sentencing her to a fine of 900,000 won (approximately $680 USD) for violating election law. The charges stemmed from allegations that she encouraged supporters during the Democratic Party’s primary election for the Yeongam County governorship in June 2022 to falsely register as non-party members in order to participate in a general voter poll, effectively allowing them to vote multiple times. According to the Yonhap News Agency, the court acknowledged the seriousness of the offense but noted that the Democratic Party had held a re-election, mitigating the impact on the overall election outcome.
Despite the conviction, Woo Seung-hee is expected to retain her position as Yeongam County Governor, as the penalty does not meet the threshold for disqualification. The Yonhap News Agency reported that other individuals involved in the case received similar fines or were acquitted. Woo Seung-hee was first elected as Yeongam County Governor in July 2022, following a career in provincial politics that included serving as a member of the Jeolla-do Provincial Council for two terms, from 2010 to 2018. She also held positions within the Democratic Party, including policy committee chair for the Jeolla-do chapter and as a deputy chair of the party’s policy committee.
In January 2024, Governor Woo announced plans to relocate the Yeongam Police Station and restore Yeongam Eupseong Fortress, a historical structure. The fortress restoration project, as reported by Wikipedia, requires the acquisition of land currently occupied by roads, and necessitates research into the original construction methods of the fortress.
