▲ Nonsan Mayor Baek Sung-hyun
Baek Sung-hyun, the Mayor of Nonsan in South Chungcheong Province, who was put on trial on charges of providing gifts to local constituents during holidays while in office, has been sentenced to a fine of 1.5 million won in the first trial, a penalty that would invalidate his election.
The Criminal Division 2 of the Nonsan Branch of the Daejeon District Court sentenced Mayor Baek to a fine of 1.5 million won during the sentencing hearing held today (August 19) on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act.
The court stated, "Although the defendant argued that there was no instruction or conspiracy and that the act was a continuation of a practice handed down from the previous mayor and did not run counter to social norms, a comprehensive review of the investigative agency's findings and witness testimonies confirms that this constitutes illegal donation prohibited by the Public Official Election Act."
The court added, "It is a favorable factor that the gifts cannot be seen as having had a direct impact on the election, but given the period of the crime, the scale is considerable."
It also noted, "From the investigation through the trial, the defendant has consistently offered hard-to-understand excuses regarding established facts and has not shown a remorseful attitude."
Mayor Baek faces charges of sending holiday gifts worth approximately 1.3 million won to about 40 constituents and others within his constituency on the occasions of Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) from October 2023 to September 2024, while he was serving as mayor.
The gifts were delivered by mail enclosed with Mayor Baek's business card, which constitutes an illegal donation under the Public Official Election Act in the form of revealing the name of the head of a public organization.
If this sentence is finalized as is, Mayor Baek will lose his position as mayor.
Under the Public Official Election Act, an elected public official's election is invalidated if they receive a sentence of imprisonment or a fine of 1 million won or more that is finalized.
Previously, the prosecution had demanded a fine of 4 million won for Mayor Baek during the sentencing hearing.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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