Kim Chung-seop, the mayor of Gimcheon, who was prosecuted for illegal donations such as holiday gifts to election district residents ahead of the 8th nationwide local elections in 2022, has been confirmed to receive a sentence that nullifies his election.
On the 28th, the Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Kwon Young-joon) upheld the original sentence of 2 years imprisonment with a 3-year probation for Mayor Kim, who was charged with violating the Public Official Election Act (restrictions on donations and prohibition of election interference). The Supreme Court stated, "There is no error in the lower court's guilty verdict regarding the establishment of the crime of violating the Public Official Election Act, the relationship between offenses, statute of limitations, and justifiable acts."
Accordingly, Mayor Kim has lost his position. When an elected public official is sentenced to a fine of 1 million KRW or more for violating the Public Official Election Act related to elections, the election is nullified and the official loses their office.
Mayor Kim was indicted for violating the Public Official Election Act by providing gifts worth a total of approximately 66 million KRW in cash and other items to election district residents around the 2021 Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays ahead of the 8th local elections. The prosecution viewed these actions as an abuse of his position or authority to exert undue influence on the election.
The first trial court found all charges against Mayor Kim guilty and sentenced him to 2 years imprisonment with a 3-year probation. Mayor Kim appealed, but the second trial court upheld the same judgment.
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