[Breaking] Former Lawmaker Yoon Kwan-seok Sentenced to 2 Years for Distributing 'Democratic Party Money Envelopes'

On August 4th last year, Independent lawmaker Yoon Kwan-seok appeared at the Seoul Central District Court for a warrant hearing as a key suspect in the 'Democratic Party Money Envelope' case. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

Former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil was involved in the 'Democratic Party Convention Money Envelope' scandal, where money envelopes were distributed to incumbent Democratic Party lawmakers to ensure his election as party leader. Former lawmaker Yoon Kwan-seok, who was prosecuted in connection with the case, has been sentenced to two years in prison.

On the 31st, the Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Oh Kyung-mi) dismissed Yoon's appeal in the final trial for violating the Political Parties Act (bribery and inducement related to the party leader election), thereby upholding the lower court's ruling that sentenced Yoon to two years in prison.

The court stated the reason for dismissing the appeal was that "there was no error in the lower court's guilty verdict by violating the rules of logic and experience or exceeding the limits of free evaluation of evidence, nor was there any misunderstanding of the legal principles regarding the establishment of the Political Parties Act violation or the relationship between offenses."

Yoon was indicted on charges of instructing, demanding, or encouraging election campaign officials to provide cash to Democratic Party lawmakers with voting rights to ensure former leader Song was elected as party leader ahead of the May 2021 Democratic Party convention (offering money related to the party leader election). He was also charged with receiving a total of 60 million won in two installments of 30 million won each (receiving money related to the party leader election).

Kang Rae-gu, a former standing auditor of the Korea Water Resources Corporation and a key member of the campaign, relayed Yoon's request to Park Yong-su, who was Song's aide. It was investigated that Park provided Yoon with 20 envelopes containing 3 million won each on April 27-28, 2021.

During the investigation and trial, Yoon denied the charges, claiming he only coordinated with campaign members to prepare the money envelopes and did not instruct or demand their distribution, asserting he was merely a messenger.

However, the first trial court found that Yoon exercised sufficient discretion by specifically determining the amounts provided and sentenced him to two years in prison. Kang, who faced charges of violating the Political Parties Act, the Political Funds Act, and bribery, was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison, fined 6 million won, and ordered to pay a 3 million won fine.

Both appealed, but the second trial court upheld the same judgment.

This ruling marks the first Supreme Court decision related to the Democratic Party Convention Money Envelope scandal, which erupted in April last year and shook the opposition.

Democratic Party lawmakers Heo Jong-sik, Lee Sung-man, and Lim Jong-sung, who were also prosecuted for receiving money envelopes, were found guilty in the first trial and received suspended prison sentences. They are currently undergoing second trial appeals.

The prosecution is investigating other Democratic Party lawmakers Kim Young-ho, Min Byung-duk, Park Sung-jun, Baek Hye-ryun, Jeon Yong-gi, former lawmaker Park Young-soon, and Hwang Un-ha of the Innovation Party for receiving money envelopes. Among them, only former lawmaker Park, who failed to be re-elected, appeared for questioning by the prosecution in July, while the other lawmakers have refused to comply with summonses for ten months.