Kang Jong-man, Mayor of Yeonggwang County, Sentenced to 7 Million Won Fine in Appeal Trial

Kang Jong-man, the mayor of Yeonggwang County who provided cash to a media reporter before the election, was also sentenced to a fine corresponding to loss of position in the appellate trial.

On the 17th, the prosecution requested a fine of 7 million won at the sentencing trial for Kang Jong-man, mayor of Yeonggwang County, on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act, held under the jurisdiction of the Criminal Division 1 of the Gwangju High Court (Presiding Judge Park Hye-seon).

If an elected public official is sentenced to a fine of 1 million won or more for violating the Public Official Election Act, the election is invalidated and the official loses their position.

The prosecution pointed out, "Mayor Kang shows no remorse at all and claims that the accuser in this case colluded with the opposing candidate (election competitor), presenting Park Mo, who had never appeared until the appellate trial, as a witness."

They added, "Apart from Park’s one-sided testimony in court, no evidence supporting the alleged accusation of instigated reporting, as claimed by the defendant, has been submitted."

They emphasized, "Based on the phone records between Mayor Kang and the reporter, it is clear that he knew providing money under his name was illegal and considered ways to give it secretly without being caught."

In response, Kang’s defense attorney stated, "A relative about the age of his grandson failed in urban life and is struggling financially, so the money was provided as living expenses," denying any connection to the election outcome.

The attorney argued, "The donation occurred while he was a prospective election candidate," and "The lower court’s judgment, which regarded it as the candidate’s act and used it as an aggravating factor in sentencing, is unfair."

The sentencing trial is scheduled to be held on November 16.

Mayor Kang was prosecuted on charges of providing 1 million won to a local media reporter in January last year, five months before the June 1 local elections, requesting help, and was fined 2 million won in the first trial.

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