Is the Fine Against Park Jong-woo, Mayor of Geoje's Spouse, Unfair? Both Spouse and Prosecution Appeal

The spouse of Park Jong-woo, mayor of Geoje, Gyeongnam, who was fined for donating 10 million won to a temple monk, and the prosecution have appealed the court ruling.

According to the legal community on the 18th, the prosecution filed an appeal on the 16th, arguing that the 2.5 million won fine imposed on Mayor Park's spouse was unjust.

Mayor Park's spouse also appealed on the 17th, claiming innocence.

According to the Tongyeong branch of Changwon District Court, A, the spouse of Mayor Park, was indicted on charges of donating a total of 10 million won in two installments of 5 million won each over two days in July 2021 to a temple in the Geoje area.

The first trial court ruled guilty, stating, "Mayor Park was repeatedly mentioned as a candidate for the next mayor in the media and participated in media interviews, confirming that he was indeed a candidate. Furthermore, A donated to a temple not usually attended by them, and the 10 million won is difficult to consider as a typical donation."

The prosecution requested a 10-month prison sentence for A, but the court imposed a fine, reasoning that since A transferred the money to their own account at a time somewhat distant from the election, the illegality of the donation and its connection to the election were somewhat weak.

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