A court will issue its first ruling on independent lawmaker Kang Sun-woo, who was indicted on suspicion of receiving 100 million won ($68,000) in nomination money. The verdict comes about seven months after she was charged in March.
According to legal sources on the 14th, Senior Judge Lee Chun-geun of the Seoul Central District Court will hold a verdict hearing at 1:30 p.m. that day for Kang, former Seoul Metropolitan Council member Kim Kyung and a former aide to Kang surnamed Nam, all facing charges including violation of the Political Funds Act. Kang and Kim, who had been detained, were released on bail on the 22nd of last month, four days before their detention period was due to expire.
Kang and Kim were indicted on charges of exchanging 100 million won in return for a party nomination at a hotel in Yongsan in January 2022, ahead of the local elections. Kang was a member of the Democratic Party of Korea at the time. Kim was later given a single-candidate nomination as the party's Seoul council candidate in Gangseo District, Kang's constituency, and won the seat. Kang's side maintains that she learned only three months later that there was money in a shopping bag, and returned it as soon as she became aware of it.
At the final hearing last month, prosecutors sought a four-year prison term for Kang and asked the court to order forfeiture of 100 million won. They sought two years for Kim and one year for Nam.
"A party nomination is an important process for selecting candidates," prosecutors said. "When money is involved, fairness is damaged and voters bear the harm." They also cited the fact that the 100 million won was used for Kang's lease deposit and what they described as her attempts to evade responsibility.
Kang's side countered that there is no objective evidence to prove the charges beyond Nam's testimony. In her final statement, Kang pleaded not guilty, saying, "Being branded a corrupt politician who took illicit money is also something I must bear, but I never received any money."
Kim, accused of handing the 100 million won to Kang, and Nam, who arranged the meeting between the two, both admitted to all charges. "I feel to the bone the price of breaking the law," Kim said. "Please show leniency so that I can live in atonement within society." Nam said, "I admit my wrongdoing and repent."
Kang and Kim have also been indicted over allegations of split donations. The core of that case is that Kim channeled more than 130 million won to Kang after the local elections using the names of dozens of people. The case has been assigned to the same bench that heard the nomination money case, with the first hearing scheduled for the 30th.