Independent lawmaker Kang Sunoo, who was indicted on charges of receiving 100 million won from former Seoul Metropolitan Council member Kim Kyeong in exchange for a local election nomination, has been sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison in the first trial.

Former Councilman Kim, who was indicted along with her, was sentenced to 1 year in prison, while Nam, a former aide to lawmaker Kang, received an 8-month prison sentence suspended for 2 years.

Judge Lee Choon-keun of Criminal Division 1 at the Seoul Central District Court delivered the rulings today (October 14) during the sentencing hearing for the Political Funds Act violations and other charges against lawmaker Kang and former Councilman Kim.

Lawmaker Kang and former Councilman Kim were arrested and indicted last March on charges of exchanging a shopping bag containing 100 million won at a hotel in Yongsan-gu in January 2022, ahead of the local elections, in exchange for a city council nomination.

At the time, lawmaker Kang was a member of the nomination screening committee for the Democratic Party's Seoul Metropolitan Council candidates, and former Councilman Kim subsequently received a single nomination and won in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, which was lawmaker Kang's constituency.

Separately from this case, lawmaker Kang and former Councilman Kim were additionally indicted last month on charges of splitting and channeling approximately 130 million won in political funds under the names of dozens of people.

The first trial for the "split donation" suspicion case is scheduled to be held on October 30.

(Reported by Park Se-won | Video by Kim Min-ji | Graphics by Lee Jung-joo | Produced by SBS Digital News)