Sangik Lee, Hampyeong County Mayor, Acquitted Again in Suit Bribery Appeal

Accused of Receiving Suits Worth 8.88 Million Won
Broker Fined 7 Million Won

Lee Sangik, Former Mayor of Hampyeong County, Jeollanam-do. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Sangik Lee, Mayor of Hampyeong County in Jeonnam, who was indicted on bribery charges for allegedly having 10 million won worth of suits purchased for him, has been acquitted in the appellate court following his initial acquittal in the first trial, allowing him to remain in office.

On January 22, the Gwangju District Court Criminal Division 1-2 (Presiding Judges: Yeon Sunjoo, Kim Daehyun, and Kim Yujin) dismissed the prosecution’s appeal and upheld the original verdict of not guilty for Mayor Lee, who had been indicted on bribery charges.

The court also dismissed the appeal of Broker A (age 89), who had been indicted for brokering the provision of bribes (violation of the Attorney-at-Law Act, among others) and was fined 7 million won in the first trial.

Mayor Lee was brought to trial on charges that, immediately after being elected in the April 2020 Hampyeong County mayoral by-election, he received five custom-made suits worth 8.88 million won from Construction Contractor B, along with a request to help secure a private contract for a government construction project.

Previously, the prosecution had sought a sentence of one year and six months in prison, a fine of 20 million won, and the forfeiture of 8.88 million won from Mayor Lee, but both the first and second trial courts rejected these requests.

The appellate court stated, "The timing when Mayor Lee received the custom-made suits was before the bribers visited the mayor's office to request the private contract," adding, "Based on the evidence submitted by the prosecution, it is difficult to conclude that Mayor Lee was even implicitly aware that the cost of the suits would be paid on his behalf."

The court further explained, "The original verdict of not guilty for Mayor Lee was justified, and there is no indication of any factual misunderstanding or misapplication of the law," providing the grounds for dismissing the appeal.

As a result, Mayor Lee has avoided the risk of losing his position as an elected official, which would have occurred if he had been convicted of a sentence of imprisonment or greater.

Meanwhile, Broker A, who received a suit worth 1.5 million won as compensation for introducing Mayor Lee during the bribery process, had his 7 million won fine upheld, while Construction Contractor B, who provided the bribe, was sentenced to a fine of 10 million won in the first trial.