'Illegal Political Fund Receipt' Former Lawmaker Hong Il-pyo Fined 10 Million Won in Appeal Trial

Former Hong Il-pyo, United Future Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) member [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Hong Il-pyo, a former member of the Future United Party (predecessor of the People Power Party), who was indicted on charges of accepting illegal political funds, was sentenced to a fine again in the appellate court.

The Criminal Division 7 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judge Seong Su-je) on the 25th sentenced former lawmaker Hong to a fine of 10 million won, the same as the first trial, and ordered a confiscation of about 19 million won for violating the Political Funds Act. The court stated, "The acceptance of covert political funds is an act that can seriously undermine representative democracy," and pointed out, "It is in direct violation of the legislative intent of the Political Funds Act, and the nature of the crime is not light."

Former lawmaker Hong was prosecuted for receiving about 19 million won in wages under the pretense that the secretary-general of his local office was employed as an advisor at an acquaintance's company from September 2013 to June of the following year, and using it as political funds. Hong was also indicted on charges of receiving an additional 20 million won in illegal political funds and falsifying accounting books, but both the first and second trials acquitted him of these charges.