Prosecutors Demand 1.5 Million Won Fine for Assemblywoman Jo Su-jin over 'Underreporting Assets'

People Power Party lawmaker Jo Su-jin is attending a trial session held at the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 2nd. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] The prosecution has requested a fine of 1.5 million won for People Power Party lawmaker Jo Su-jin, who was indicted on charges of underreporting her assets during the 21st general election. If a fine of over 1 million won is confirmed, she will lose her parliamentary seat.

On the 23rd, at the sentencing hearing held at the Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 11 (Presiding Judge Moon Byung-chan), the prosecution requested the court, stating, "The defendant appears to have been aware of the existence of the 500 million won bond that was omitted, as she continuously received interest on it."

The prosecution argued, "Considering the nature and scale of the omitted cash assets, there was sufficient incentive to omit them, and it is reasonable to view that the assets were falsely disclosed for the purpose of election."

In response, Jo’s defense team denied the charges, stating that no false information was disclosed regarding assets for election purposes and that the issue arose from a lack of proper understanding of the asset holding status report preparation guidelines.

Jo’s defense stated, "The assets listed in the asset holding status report amount to 2.23 billion won, while the actual assets are 2.6 billion won, a difference of about 370 million won. From a voter's perspective, there is no significant difference in perception whether the proportional representation candidate's assets are 2.23 billion won or 2.6 billion won."

The defense also explained that they were unaware that the 500 million won private bond with her brother and his wife was subject to reporting, and that the underreporting and omission of her spouse’s financial assets and her son’s deposits were all due to misunderstandings and mistakes.

In her final statement, Jo said, "Today is my child’s birthday, but I appeared in court as a defendant," wiping away tears. She added, "I am deeply sorry and truly ashamed to many people. This happened because I hurriedly prepared for the nomination, making this situation even more difficult and painful. However, I will take this opportunity to be more humble and reflect on myself with a modest attitude."

If a lawmaker is confirmed to have received a fine of over 1 million won for violating the Public Official Election Act, they lose their parliamentary seat. Jo’s sentencing trial will be held in the afternoon on the 27th of next month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.