Kang Sunoo Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Prison Over Illicit Nomination Fund

[Anchor]

Independent lawmaker Kang Sunoo has been sentenced to prison in the first trial and taken into custody on charges of receiving 100 million won in exchange for a municipal council nomination. The court rebuked the lawmaker for undermining public trust in the electoral system.

Reporter Jang Hun-gyeong has the details.

[Reporter]

Independent lawmaker Kang Sunoo, who was released on bail on September 22, attended the first-instance sentencing hearing.

[Kang Sunoo / Independent Lawmaker (Yesterday): "Throughout the trial process, I have 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 reached a verdict of two and a half years in prison, an order to forfeit 100 million won, and rearrest in the courtroom.

Kim Gyeong, a former Seoul Metropolitan Council member indicted on charges of handing over 100 million won in exchange for the nomination, was also sentenced to one year in prison and taken into custody. Nam, a former aide to lawmaker Kang who was indicted for arranging the meeting between the two and delivering the shopping bag containing the cash, received a sentence of eight months in prison suspended for two years.

The court recognized as guilty the charge that in January 2022, lawmaker Kang received a shopping bag containing 100 million won from former council member Kim at a hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, in exchange for the nomination.

The court stated, "Former council member Kim's statements are consistent, specific to the extent that they would be difficult to make without direct experience, and hard to find contradictions in," adding that "minor discrepancies in 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 without her knowledge, the court stated, "There is no reason for former council member Kim to give a large sum of money to an aide rather than to lawmaker Kang, who was the regional committee chairperson," and also acknowledged the fact that lawmaker Kang used the money to pay for a jeonse (lump-sum housing deposit) balance.

The court emphasized that an austere punishment was inevitable, stating, "Lawmaker Kang's actions distorted the candidate nomination process and undermined public trust in the electoral system."

Immediately after the sentencing, lawmaker Kang's side announced plans to appeal. 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)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.