'Donation to Church in Electoral District' Incheon Ongjin County Governor Fined 900,000 Won... Retains County Governor Position

In the first trial, Moon Kyung-bok (68), the mayor of Ongjin County, Incheon, who was prosecuted for donation activities after making offerings to churches within the electoral district ahead of last year's local elections, was sentenced to a fine of 900,000 won, avoiding disqualification from election.

The Criminal Division 15 of the Incheon District Court (Chief Judge Ryu Ho-jung) sentenced Mayor Moon to a fine of 900,000 won on the 11th in a verdict trial on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act.

Elected officials are disqualified from election if they are sentenced to a fine of 1 million won or more for violating the Public Official Election Act.

The court stated, "Making offerings publicly to a church constitutes a donation activity prohibited by the Public Official Election Act," and added, "The defendant appears to have recognized that the offerings could be considered prohibited donation activities, as he exchanged opinions with the church pastor in advance."

It continued, "The defendant disputes the legitimacy and illegality of the named offering method and there is concern that the same offense may be repeated," but explained the sentencing by saying, "Considering the small amount, it is difficult to see it as beyond the scope of ordinary offerings, and the fact that corrections were made after the Election Commission's warning."

Mungyeongbok, Mayor of Ongjin County, Incheon

Earlier, the prosecution requested a fine of 2 million won for Mayor Moon at the sentencing hearing held last month.

Mayor Moon was non-custodially indicted on charges of donating 510,000 won in the name of offerings to four churches in Ongjin County, Incheon, from January to May last year ahead of the local elections.

According to the Public Official Election Act, candidates or those intending to become candidates cannot make donations to voters or organizations within the electoral district. However, religious persons making ordinary offerings to churches, cathedrals, temples, etc., which they regularly attend, are excluded from prohibited donations.

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