South Korean lawmaker sentenced to 2 1/2 years for bribery

Key facts

• Lawmaker Kang Sun-woo sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison.
• Kang accepted 100 million won for a nomination.
• The bribe was for a 2022 local election nomination.
• Kim Kyung, a former councilor, was selected as a nominee and elected.
• The court ruled the actions undermined election fairness.

SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Yonhap) -- An independent lawmaker in South Korea, Kang Sun-woo, has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison by the Seoul Central District Court for accepting 100 million won (US$75,000) in exchange for a political nomination. Kang, formerly a member of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), was found guilty of receiving the money in January 2022 from former Seoul city councilor Kim Kyung. At the time, Kang served on the DP's nomination committee for Seoul city councilors, and Kim was subsequently selected as a nominee and elected in the 2022 local elections.

The court also ordered Kang to forfeit the bribe money, stating that the exchange of illegal political funds "severely" damaged public trust and undermined election fairness. Kim Kyung received a one-year prison sentence, and a former aide to Kang was given an eight-month term, suspended for two years, for facilitating the meeting between Kang and Kim.

Kang left the DP earlier this year after the scandal emerged, reportedly following the disclosure of a recording where she discussed the payment. The lawmaker appeared for her trial on charges of violating the Political Funds Act.