In the June 1 local elections, Lee Sang-cheol, former mayor of Gokseong County, Jeollanam-do, who was indicted for providing meals to election campaign workers and was fined 800,000 won in the first trial, received a harsher sentence in the appeal trial, with a fine of 2 million won resulting in disqualification from office.
After the verdict, Mayor Lee decided not to appeal to the Supreme Court and announced that he would resign, allowing a by-election to be held during the general election in April.
The Criminal Division 1 of the Gwangju High Court (Judge Park Hye-seon) overturned the first trial and sentenced Lee Sang-cheol (64), mayor of Gokseong County, who was indicted for violating the Public Official Election Act, to a fine of 2 million won on the 18th.
Additionally, four other defendants, including election campaign staff who were tried together in the appeal trial, were fined between 1 million and 4 million won.
Previously, Mayor Lee was indicted for providing food worth about 5 million won to 66 people, including election campaign workers, at a Korean beef specialty restaurant in Gokseong County, Jeollanam-do, and was fined 900,000 won in the first trial.
Notably, Mayor Lee staged a scene where election workers placed a donation box and falsely collected meal expenses, even taking photos, and it was revealed that an acquaintance of the mayor paid the meal expenses with his credit card.
The first trial court did not impose a "disqualification from office" sentence, reasoning that the offense occurred after the election had ended and thus did not interfere with the election. However, the appeal court judged that the meal expenses of about 5 million won were not insignificant compared to similar cases, and that the staged photos indicated active involvement rather than passive participation.
Although the appeal court imposed the same fine, it increased the punishment compared to the first trial because an elected public official receiving a fine of 1 million won or more results in disqualification from office.
Accordingly, Gokseong County plans to discuss measures such as an acting system following Mayor Lee’s announcement of his intention to resign immediately after the sentence. According to current law, if the resignation intention is declared before February, a by-election will be held together with the National Assembly election on April 10, which is expected to leave the mayor’s office vacant for about two months.
Mayor Lee said, "I have been considering my position in case a disqualification sentence was issued," and added, "I will forgo an appeal, resign from the mayor’s office, and allow a mayoral by-election to be held together with the general election."
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