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| Shin Yeon-hee |
Gangnam-gu Office has been grappling with a leadership vacuum since its head was arrested on charges of embezzlement and abuse of power.
Compounded by the upcoming May 13 local elections, many officials have virtually abandoned their duties, while paying attention to who will become the next district chief.
Incumbent head Shin Yeon-hee was arrested on Feb. 27 over allegations of embezzlement and abuse of power. According to the prosecution, she allegedly embezzled taxpayers' money worth 93 million won to cover her personal expenses. The money was supposed to go to district office employees as a bonus.
Shin, who was serving her second term as district head, also faces an allegation she abused her power in selecting a nursing home operator to get one of her family members a job.
Shin has reportedly denied all allegations and is also attempting to influence district affairs from jail.
After her arrest, the district government has faced pressure from the Seoul Metropolitan Government which filed a criminal complaint against Shin's four colleagues for refusing to comply with the city government's recommendations.
In 2016, the city's periodical audit found four the district officials guilty of dereliction of duty and recommended they be demoted, but the district office rejected the recommendation.
The district office's public relations official surnamed Kim downplayed the consequences of the leadership vacuum.
"Despite her absence, employees are working as usual under the leadership of the deputy head," Kim said.
But, not all agreed. One anonymous employee said, "It's so disappointing to learn the chief did what she did. I totally lost my trust in her."
The resentment was also felt among 550,000 district residents.
A district resident in his 50s said, "I feel sad we had such a corrupt person as a leader for almost eight years. Voters should be more conscious of the politicians they vote for, but more importantly, each party must be more careful when they choose a candidate."
Another female Gangnam resident in her 30s said, "Is this the Gangnam Style we once proudly heralded?"
Another resident said, "When people talk about my district head, I feel guilty. Gangnam already carried a sense of guilt because it's the main culprit for skyrocketing property prices in the country. I am sad we have other things to feel guilty about."
The local elections to replace Shin are less than two months away. As local elections are slated for June 13, according to the Seoul Election Commission, five candidates have expressed their bids for the district chief race.
Shin was elected in 2010 to lead one of Seoul's wealthiest districts.
Her political victory was largely thanks to then President Lee Myung-bak, with whom she had worked at the Seoul Metropolitan Government when Lee was mayor.
With Shin as district chief, Gangnam-gu's relationship with the city government has been rocky. She pushed to gain more autonomy from City Hall.
The district has almost 550,000 residents on 39 square kilometers of land. It houses major tourist attractions, COEX and nearby financial institutions which make it one of the most coveted places to live for Seoul residents.
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