Kim Hye-kyung Appeals 1st Trial Sentence of 1.5 Million Won Fine for Election Law Violation

Yonhap News

Kim Hye-kyung, the spouse of Lee Jae-myung, who was sentenced to a fine in the first trial for providing meals using the Gyeonggi Provincial Government corporate card to spouses of current and former Democratic Party lawmakers during the party's primary for the 20th presidential election, has appealed the verdict.

According to the legal community on the 18th, the law firm Dasan, which is representing Kim, submitted a notice of appeal to the Criminal Division 13 of the Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Park Jeong-ho).

Although the specific reasons for the appeal have not been confirmed, considering that Kim has consistently denied the charges, it is expected that she argued factual errors, legal misinterpretations, and improper sentencing.

Kim was indicted on February 14 of this year on charges of providing a meal worth approximately 104,000 won using the Gyeonggi corporate card on August 2, 2021, at a restaurant in Seoul to six people, including spouses of three current and former Democratic Party members of the National Assembly, her driver, and an aide, which is considered a donation act.

At the sentencing hearing last month, the prosecution requested a fine of 3 million won for Kim, stating, "The defendant committed the crime to bribe influential politicians with money, and regardless of the amount, the nature of the crime is serious."

On the 14th, the first trial court sentenced Kim to a fine of 1.5 million won, stating, "The defendant denied the crime and appeared to shift responsibility to Bae Mo (a private aide)."

Furthermore, the court stated, "The meal gathering in question was an occasion where Shin Mo introduced spouses of former National Assembly speakers, and due to Bae's payment, the attendees were able to have a smooth meal, so it was an act that benefited the defendant. Considering these circumstances comprehensively, it is judged that Bae committed the donation act with the defendant's tacit consent and acceptance, and there was a sequential implicit agreement between the defendant and Bae."

Kim's lawyer protested immediately after the sentencing, calling it a "guilty verdict based on inference."

The prosecution, currently reviewing Kim's first trial verdict, plans to decide soon whether to appeal.