Hwang Kyoan Sentenced to 1 Year and 6 Months in Prison
Song Eonseok Faces 10 Months in Prison
The prosecution has sought prison sentences for the leadership and lawmakers of the Liberty Korea Party who were brought to trial over the so-called "National Assembly Fast-Track Clash" that occurred in 2019.
On September 15, during the final hearing at the Criminal Division 11 of the Seoul Southern District Court (Presiding Judge Jang Chan), prosecutors requested a sentence of one year and six months in prison for Hwang Kyoan, then party leader and now head of the Liberty and Innovation Party, who was indicted on charges including obstruction of special official duties. For Na Kyungwon, who was floor leader at the time and is now a People Power Party lawmaker, prosecutors sought two years in prison. For Song Eonseok, the current floor leader of the People Power Party, prosecutors requested 10 months in prison and a fine of 2 million won.
For lawmakers Lee Manhee and Kim Jeongjae, prosecutors requested 10 months in prison and a fine of 3 million won each. For lawmaker Yoon Hanhong, they requested six months in prison and a fine of 3 million won, and for lawmaker Lee Cheolgyu, a fine of 3 million won. For other figures outside the National Assembly, sentences ranged from 10 months in prison (including former lawmakers Min Kyungwook and Lee Eunjae) to fines of 3 million won (including former lawmaker Kim Seongtae).
In April 2019, these individuals were indicted without detention in January 2020 on charges of confining Chae Ibae, a lawmaker from the Bareunmirae Party, in his office, occupying the Bill Processing Office, and seizing the meeting rooms of the Special Committee on Political Reform and the Special Committee on Judicial Reform, thereby obstructing the submission of bills and the holding of meetings. At that time, the ruling and opposition parties clashed over whether to place the bills for establishing the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and introducing a mixed-member proportional representation system on the fast-track, which escalated into a physical confrontation.
In their closing arguments, the attorneys for Hwang and Na stated, "The essence of this case lies in the unconstitutionality and illegality of the fast-track designation procedure," adding, "The defendants' actions were acts of resistance against an anti-constitutional and anti-parliamentary uprising."
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