Chensu Jung began planning to flee to the United States shortly after the South Korean presidential election in March 2022 in an attempt to evade an investigation by prosecutors into his prior criminal convictions. To conceal the true purpose of his departure, he presented the establishment of a "public-interest nonprofit organization called the Citizen Portal" as his stated objective.
Jung actively utilized his title as the representative of Yeollin Gonggam TV, along with its logo and broadcasts. He emphasized the image of himself as a journalist persecuted by the South Korean government. By doing so, he sought to elicit sympathy and trust from the Korean-American community. Under the pretext of establishing a “public-interest nonprofit organization” called the Citizen Portal, he began soliciting donations immediately upon his arrival in the United States.
However, there was no concrete plan or legal and financial preparation for the Citizen Portal project. On May 28, during the Seattle presentation, Jung changed the characterization of the fund from a donation to an investment. The corporation established on June 8, 2022, was not a nonprofit entity but a for-profit company solely owned by Jung.
At the fundraising events, Jung emphasized that the funds would be strictly used for public purposes and showcased his personal financial strength to gain trust. However, according to the actual accounting records, there is evidence that the funds were misappropriated for personal use, including expenses related to his stay in the U.S. and leisure activities such as tourism.
