Prosecutors Seek 2-Year Prison Sentence and Fine for Lee Hwa-young Over Alleged Perjury and Other Charges

Prosecutors have requested a two-year prison sentence and a fine of 5 million won for Lee Hwa-young, the former Peace Vice Governor of Gyeonggi Province, who is on trial for charges including perjury regarding an alleged "drinking party" at the prosecutor's office, violations of the Political Funds Act, and abuse of power.
The prosecution made the request during the closing hearing of the jury trial held today (June 19) at the Suwon District Court, presided over by the 11th Criminal Division.
The prosecution sought a two-year prison term for charges including violation of the Act on Testimony and Appraisal Before the National Assembly, violation of the Local Finance Act, obstruction of official duties by deception, and abuse of power, while requesting a separate fine of 5 million won for the violation of the Political Funds Act.
During today's closing hearing, prosecutors spent approximately three hours starting at 9:30 a.m. presenting their case via a PowerPoint presentation, focusing on proving the charges for each count.
The prosecution stated, "We took into account that the defendant denies the charges and that this case is in a post-judgment concurrent relationship with the case for which his conviction for violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act has already been finalized."
They added, "The request for a two-year prison sentence reflects our respect for the court's sentencing discretion and takes into consideration the possibility of a suspended sentence depending on the circumstances."
Lee was indicted in February of last year on charges of perjury for testifying as a witness at a National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee hearing on the impeachment of a prosecutor on October 2, 2024, where he claimed that a "drinking party" had taken place in Room 1313 of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office to manipulate his statement.
He is also accused of having Kim Sung-tae, former chairman of Ssangbangwool Group, split and donate political funds to support President Lee Jae-myung during the Gyeonggi gubernatorial election and the Democratic Party's presidential primary, as well as pushing forward with North Korea support projects despite opposition from his staff during his tenure as vice governor.
The trial, which has been conducted as a jury trial over the past ten days since June 8, is set to conclude today following the defense's closing arguments and the defendant's final statement.
The court will deliver its final verdict after the jury's deliberation, and given the time required for the deliberation, it is highly likely that the ruling will be issued after midnight.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.