“I didn’t know they were middle school girls,” he said—now Choi Young-joong admits to most charges at his first trial

[Financial News] Indicted and held in custody on charges including prostitution involving minors, former Cheongju City Council member Choi Young-joong admitted to most of the charges in the indictment at his first trial.
According to Yonhap News and other outlets on the 29th, the 22nd Criminal Division of the Cheongju District Court, presided over by Judge Han Sang-won, held the first hearing that day for Choi, who was indicted and detained on charges of statutory rape of a minor and violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth against Sex Offenses, including habitual production and distribution of sexually exploitative material, purchasing sex, and conversations for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Choi’s side said in court that day, “We admit to most of the charges in the indictment,” adding, “He is remorseful.”
Previously, during police and prosecutors’ investigations, Choi had denied the charges, saying, “I did have sex with the victims, but I didn’t know they were minors.” He has now changed his position. However, he argued that some of the charges of producing sexually exploitative material do not hold up under the law.
Choi’s side said, “For a charge of producing sexually exploitative material to stand, there must be conduct such as planning or filming the video and giving specific instructions,” adding, “Some of the charges appear to concern nothing more than the defendant asking for photos to be sent.” They added, “The defendant did have sexual conversations with the victims, but obtaining sexually exploitative material was not the purpose.”
They also argued, “It is true that at the defendant’s request, a victim sent photos taken in advance, but he never contacted a victim at school and asked them to take new photos and send them.” They added, “There is no evidence other than the victim’s statement, and rather than the victim having lied, it seems the charges were included in the indictment because the victim’s statement was confused with another victim’s.”
Choi is accused of having sex on four occasions with three minors, including a middle school girl identified as A, from October 2024 through November 2025, promising to pay them.
He also faces charges of asking four minors (ages 13–18), including a middle school girl identified as A whom he met through a chat app, on eight occasions to take and send photos of their bodies, then sharing the 13 photos he received with acquaintances or producing sexually exploitative material on three occasions. The alleged offenses took place from July 2024 through January this year.
Meanwhile, while under investigation in connection with the case, Choi ran as a People Power Party candidate in the Cheongju City Council election during the June 3 local elections and won. But he voluntarily resigned from his council seat on July 16, the day after a police search and seizure, and the North Chungcheong Province chapter of the People Power Party expelled him on the 20th of the same month.
Choi’s next trial is scheduled for December 15.
[email protected] Kim Su-yeon Reporter