"Violation of the Election Act" Kim Choong-seop, the mayor of Gimcheon, is invalid...a suspended sentence of imprisonment

Gimcheon Mayor Kim Choong-seop, who was put on trial for handing over holiday gifts to voters ahead of the election, was nullified.

The Supreme Court today (28th) confirmed the original ruling that sentenced Mayor Kim, who was indicted on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act, to two years in prison and three years of probation.

Mayor Kim was indicted on charges of mobilizing city government officials and heads of towns, villages, and dongs around the Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays in 2021 to provide 66 million won worth of bribes to 1,800 journalists and local residents.

Both the first and second trial courts sentenced Mayor Kim to two years in prison and three years of probation for acknowledging that he committed crimes to influence the election by using his position.

Mayor Kim objected to this, but the Supreme Court rejected Mayor Kim's appeal, saying there was no fault in the judgment of the lower court that it did not deviate from the limits of liberalism or misunderstood the laws of election law.