[Anchor]
Independent lawmaker Kang Sunoo, who was indicted on charges of receiving 100 million won in exchange for a municipal council nomination, has been sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison in the first trial. Lawmaker Kang, who was previously released on bail, was taken into custody again in court today (the 14th). The court rebuked her for undermining public trust in the election system.
Reporter Jang Hun-gyeong has the details.
[Reporter]
Independent lawmaker Kang Sunoo, who was released on bail on September 22, attended the first-trial sentencing hearing.
[Kang Sunoo / Independent Lawmaker: Throughout the trial process, I faithfully explained my position with objective evidence. I will await the court's judgment today with a humble heart.]
However, in less than an hour, the court's conclusion was 2 years and 6 months in prison, an additional forfeiture of 100 million won, and re-imprisonment in court.
Kim Kyung, a former Seoul Metropolitan Council member who was indicted on charges of handing over 100 million won in exchange for a nomination, was also sentenced to 1 year in prison and taken into custody in court. Meanwhile, Nam, a former aide to Lawmaker Kang who was indicted for arranging the meeting between the two and delivering a shopping bag containing cash, received a sentence of 8 months in prison suspended for 2 years.
The court recognized as guilty the charge that in January 2022, Lawmaker Kang received a shopping bag containing 100 million won from former Councilman Kim in exchange for a nomination at a hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
The court stated, "Former Councilman Kim's statements are consistent, specific to the point that they could not be made without direct experience, and difficult to find contradictions in," adding, "Some discrepancies in the statements regarding the timing and method of delivery appear to be due to the limits of memory."
Regarding Lawmaker Kang's claim that former aide Nam received the money behind her back, the court stated, "There is no reason for former Councilman Kim to give a large sum of money to an aide rather than Lawmaker Kang, who was the head of the local party committee," and also acknowledged the fact that Lawmaker Kang used this money to pay for a jeonse (lump-sum housing deposit) balance.
The court emphasized that "Lawmaker Kang's actions distorted the candidate recommendation process for elections and undermined public trust in the election system," making strict punishment inevitable.
Immediately after the sentencing, Lawmaker Kang's legal team stated they would appeal right away. If the sentence is finalized as is by the Supreme Court, she will lose her parliamentary seat.
(Camera: Yang Ji-hoon | Video Editing: Lee Seung-hee)
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