City Council Member Accused of Money Envelope Bribery... Prosecutors Demand 2 Million Won Fine for Yangju Mayor Kang Suhyeon

Prosecution Applies Public Official Election Act Violation
Mayor Kang Claims "It Was Merely a Gesture of Goodwill"
Election Invalidated if Fined Over 1 Million Won

The prosecution has requested a fine of 2 million won for Mayor Kang Su-hyun of Yangju City, who was indicted on charges of handing out money envelopes to city council members and public officials ahead of an overseas training trip.

Yonhap News

At the sentencing hearing held on the 7th at the Uijeongbu District Court Criminal Division 13, the prosecution asked, "Please impose a fine of 2 million won." The defense acknowledged some of the charges but appealed, saying, "With three years left until the next election, this was merely a gesture of goodwill to longtime colleagues," and requested, "Please make a wise judgment on whether this matter warrants a by-election due to violation of election laws."

In his final statement, Mayor Kang said, "I showed goodwill by buying snacks and coffee during the overseas training and did not realize it could cause any issues," adding, "I am remorseful and ask for leniency to avoid any administrative vacuum."

Mayor Kang was indicted on charges of handing envelopes containing 100 US dollars to eight Yangju city council members ahead of an Eastern European overseas training trip in August 2023, and envelopes containing 300,000 won to city hall officials during the same period. In relation to this case, the Gyeonggi Province branch of the Democratic Party of Korea filed a complaint against Mayor Kang with the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office in October 2023 for violating the Public Official Election Act.

According to the Public Official Election Act, if an elected official is sentenced to imprisonment or fined 1 million won or more for violating the election law, their election is invalidated.