Jecheon City Abandons Repayment Plan for Festival Deficit: Where Does the Money Go?

제천시 Gives Up on Repayment Plan for Jecheon International Music & Film Festival Deficit, Where Does the Repaid Money Go?

Jecheon City has abandoned its repayment plan for the deficit incurred by the Jecheon International Music & Film Festival.

The city of Jecheon in Chungcheongbuk-do has ultimately given up on its proposed plan to repay the deficit resulting from the mismanagement of the Jecheon International Music & Film Festival. On the 8th, Jecheon City announced that it will not appeal the first-instance ruling of the civil lawsuit against former employees of the festival corporation.

Previously, the Jecheon Branch of the Cheongju District Court ruled partially in favor of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit confirming the invalidity of the dismissal measures taken against former executive director Cho Seong-woo and former secretary-general Jang Ji-hoon. The main point of contention in this lawsuit was whether the festival organization could repay the debt of 465 million won incurred during the 18th music and film festival on behalf of Cho and others.

The court ruled that the repayment order to Cho lacked any legal basis, stating that there was no contract, local regulation, or legal grounds for the compensation order against the former executive director of the corporation. With the disappearance of the repayment order’s effect, the path to receiving the money has been blocked. As Jecheon City has given up on the appeal, the repaid money remains as a mere obligation on the corporation’s documents.

Additionally, the invalidity of the dismissal measures against Jang Ji-hoon and Ahn Mi-ra, the former deputy executive director, has been confirmed. Although there seems to be little practical benefit to their reinstatement as their remaining contract period was only a few days to a few months, criticism of the excessive accountability inquiry is inevitable. During the trial, they argued that the increase in expenses due to the city’s demand for an expanded event venue and the decrease in revenue due to bad weather were the reasons for the financial difficulties.

A representative from the festival corporation’s office stated that while the lawsuit has been concluded, they will continue to review whether they can hold Cho Seong-woo accountable for the budget overruns.

Where Will the Repaid Money for Jecheon International Music & Film Festival Deficit Go?

Jecheon City in Chungcheongbuk-do has decided to abandon its plan to repay the deficit incurred by the Jecheon International Music & Film Festival.

Jecheon City announced on the 8th that it will not appeal the first-instance ruling of the civil lawsuit against former employees of the festival corporation. The Jecheon Branch of the Cheongju District Court ruled partially in favor of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit confirming the invalidity of the dismissal measures taken against former executive director Cho Seong-woo and former secretary-general Jang Ji-hoon.

The court ruling stated that the repayment order to Cho lacked any legal basis, and as a result, the path to receiving the money has been blocked. With Jecheon City giving up on the appeal, the repaid money remains as a mere obligation on the corporation’s documents.

Furthermore, the invalidity of the dismissal measures against Jang Ji-hoon and Ahn Mi-ra, the former deputy executive director, has been confirmed. Although their reinstatement may have little practical benefit, criticism of the excessive accountability inquiry is inevitable. During the trial, they argued that the increase in expenses due to the city’s demand for an expanded event venue and the decrease in revenue due to bad weather were the reasons for the financial difficulties.

A representative from the festival corporation’s office stated that while the lawsuit has been concluded, they will continue to review whether they can hold Cho Seong-woo accountable for the budget overruns.