Court Sentences Former Lawmaker Min Kyung-wook to 2 Years and 6 Months in Prison for Delivering Ballots to 60s... "Not a Public Interest Report"

by Choi Sukjin

Published 18 Dec.2020 16:15(KST)

The First Case of Punishment for Ballot Theft Crime

On the afternoon of May 11, at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, Min Kyung-wook, then a member of the United Future Party, claimed at the rally for uncovering the truth behind the April 15 general election suspicions and restoring national sovereignty that "shredded ballots were found in front of a post office in Gyeonggi-do." [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] A man in his 60s who was indicted for secretly taking out ballots during the April 15 general election was sentenced to prison.

The Criminal Division 13 of Uijeongbu District Court (Presiding Judge Jeong Daju) sentenced Lee Mo (65), who was indicted for violating the Public Official Election Act and nighttime trespassing theft, to 2 years and 6 months in prison on the 18th. This ruling is the first case where the crime of ballot theft was applied.

The court stated, "After reviewing 8 hours of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, we cannot accept the defendant's claim that he received the ballots from an unknown person."

It added, "Since this is an unprecedented case that could generate political conspiracies, severe punishment is necessary."

The court also said, "While one is free to hold political views, fabricating facts for political purposes is not freedom," and "In this case, the defendant's act of delivering the ballots to the then-member of the National Assembly is not a public interest report."

On this day, the court also expressed concerns about some YouTubers.

Lee is accused of stealing six remaining ballots from the second polling district of Sutaek 2-dong, stored in the fitness room of Guri Gymnasium, where the Guri City Election Commission kept the ballots, between April 15 and 16.