⚖️ Kang Yong-seok’s Election Law Violation: Supreme Court Upholds Suspended Sentence ⚖️

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has finalized a suspended prison sentence for lawyer Kang Yong-seok, who was found guilty of violating the Public Official Election Act during the 2022 local elections. Let’s dive into the details of this case and its implications.

The Case at a Glance

Kang Yong-seok, who ran for Gyeonggi Province Governor in the 6/1 local elections, was accused of providing financial benefits to individuals who assisted in his campaign. Specifically, he was charged with signing service contracts with companies owned by his relatives, allowing them to post election promotional material on his website in exchange for payments ranging from hundreds of millions to tens of millions of Korean won.

He was also accused of paying ₩3 million KRW to employees of the Garo Sero Institute for managing SNS accounts and writing press releases for his internet election campaign. (KRW stands for Korean Won, the currency of South Korea 🇰🇷.)

The Court’s Decision

The Supreme Court upheld the original verdict of the lower courts, which sentenced Kang to 1 year and 6 months in prison, suspended for 3 years. The court found no errors in the original judgment.

Reasoning Behind the Sentence

The courts emphasized that Kang Yong-seok, a well-known political figure with extensive experience in elections, inappropriately mixed private interests with the public domain of elections. They noted the gravity of his actions, stating that he undermined the legislative intent of the election law.

The court also highlighted that Kang denied the allegations despite the high likelihood of criticism and that he repeated the same type of offense, having a prior conviction for violating election laws related to conducting ‘outdoor’ interviews with parliamentary candidates ahead of the 21st general election in March 2020.

Implications

This ruling underscores the importance of adhering to election laws and maintaining transparency and fairness in political campaigns. It serves as a reminder that even prominent figures are not exempt from accountability when it comes to violating election regulations.

Stay tuned for more updates on legal and political developments! 📰