Prosecution Seeks 5-Year Prison Sentence for Former Lawmaker Ha Young-je on Charges of Illegal Political Fund Acceptance

Suspected of Receiving Illegal Political Funds Amounting to Around 160 Million Won

The prosecution has demanded a 5-year prison sentence for former National Assembly member Ha Young-je, who was indicted on charges of receiving illegal political funds (violations of the Political Funds Act and the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act).

At the sentencing hearing held on the 27th at the Jinju Branch of Changwon District Court, Criminal Division 2 (Presiding Judge Min Byung-guk), the prosecution stated, "The defendant unjustly used efforts to ensure transparency in party nominations," and made the demand accordingly.

Hayoungje, a member of the People Power Party, is heading to the Changwon District Court in Gyeongnam for a warrant hearing in April last year.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong, Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters]

The prosecution pointed out, "The defendant's actions undermined fairness and transparency in the public office election nomination process, shaking the foundation of representative democracy," adding, "Ultimately, it led to corruption in the public sector, making the crime very serious."

Former Assembly member Ha was indicted without detention on charges of receiving a total of 167.5 million KRW in illegal political funds from local government heads and provincial council members in the Gyeongnam region, under the pretexts of election expenses and regional office operating costs, from March 2020 to June last year.

The key issue in Ha's trial is whether the 30 million KRW given by former Sacheon Mayor Song Do-geun for Sacheon regional office operating expenses and personnel costs constituted a bribe. The prosecution argues that Ha directly requested this money from former Mayor Song, indicating a quid pro quo, but Ha's defense team refutes this, stating there is no objective evidence that Ha directly demanded the money. Former Mayor Song also claims he considered the 30 million KRW as a special party membership fee.

The sentencing hearing for former Assembly member Ha is scheduled for August 8.