Court Sentences Former Lawmaker Park Jong-hee to 2 Million Won Fine for Election Law Violation

Former National Assembly Member Park Jong-hee

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Tae-min] Former National Assembly member Park Jong-hee, who was prosecuted for distributing business cards with irregular academic credentials and donating books to voters ahead of last year's general election, has been fined.

On the 3rd, the Criminal Division 13 of Uijeongbu District Court (Presiding Judge Jung Sung-kyun) sentenced former Assembly member Park, who was indicted for violating the Public Official Election Act, to a fine of 2 million won. In August 2019, ahead of the general election, Park was indicted without detention on charges of donating 10 books worth about 15,000 won each to voters at a restaurant in Pocheon City and distributing about 200 business cards with irregular academic credentials in the electoral district until November of the same year.

He was also charged with providing voters with three copies of his own book worth about 45,000 won in December of the same year, while saying, "If I just give them, it violates the election law, so if anyone asks, please say you purchased them." Park denied the charges in court, but the court did not accept his denial.

The court stated the reason for sentencing, saying, "The defendant's act of donation and distribution of business cards with irregular academic credentials distort voters' rational choice and can undermine the fairness and transparency of the election, so the guilt is not light."

Park, who served as a National Assembly member for Suwon Jang-an District in the 16th and 18th National Assembly, ran for the Pocheon-Gapyeong constituency in the 21st general election but was eliminated in the Liberty Korea Party primary at that time.

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