Gangwon Superintendent Shin Kyungho Sentenced to Election-Nullifying Prison Term in First Trial for Illegal Electioneering and Bribery

Shin Kyungho, Superintendent of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Education Office, who was indicted on charges of illegal election campaigning and bribery, is expressing his feelings after attending the sentencing trial held at Chuncheon District Court on the 23rd. Photo by Yonhap News

Shin Kyungho, Superintendent of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Office of Education, who was indicted on charges of illegal election campaigning and bribery, was sentenced to imprisonment in the first trial, a sentence that would nullify his election victory.

On the 23rd, the Criminal Division 2 of Chuncheon District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Seongrae) delivered the verdict in Shin's case regarding violations of the Educational Autonomy Act and pre-election bribery. The court dismissed the charges related to the Educational Autonomy Act, but found him guilty on some counts of pre-election bribery, sentencing him to 10 months in prison with a two-year suspended sentence.

Shin is accused of, together with former spokesperson Lee, recruiting an election organization, operating a group chat for election campaigning, and holding workshops between July 2021 and May 2022, thereby establishing a private organization for electioneering purposes. He is also accused of, together with Lee, promising in June 2021 to May 2022 to appoint a former teacher, Han, as a special sports advisor to the Gangwon Office of Education as a reward for participating in the election campaign if he was elected superintendent.

Additional charges include receiving 10 million won from Lee in November 2021 in exchange for promising to appoint Lee as spokesperson of the Gangwon Office of Education if elected, as well as a total of five counts of bribery, including four additional instances of accepting money together with Lee.

Although Shin was acquitted of violating the Educational Autonomy Act, under the law stating that 'an elected official loses their position if sentenced to imprisonment or heavier punishment in a criminal case,' he will lose his position as superintendent if the sentence handed down on this day becomes final.