Preliminary Candidate Fined for Bribing Voters in Gwangju Saemaeul Geumgo Election
Bought Votes from 13 Members Ahead of Election Run
Recruited Voters by Paying Subscription Fees on Their Behalf
With the direct election for the chairman of Saemaeul Geumgo approaching, a preliminary candidate and their accomplices who illegally recruited members with voting rights by paying their subscription fees on their behalf have been fined by the court.
According to the Gwangju District Court’s Criminal Division 9 (Presiding Judge Jeon Heesook), on March 26, a woman in her 60s, referred to as A, and her acquaintance B, who were indicted for violating the Saemaeul Geumgo Act, were each fined 10 million won, while C, who assisted in the crime, was fined 7 million won.
From March to August of last year, A was prosecuted on charges of requesting her acquaintance B and others to recruit voting members for her bid to become chairman of a Saemaeul Geumgo branch in Gwangju, offering or promising compensation in return.
B and others, acting on A’s request, recruited 13 new members. In this process, they secured voting members illegally by providing 600,000 won in cash to 6 people and promising valuables to 7 others. They exploited the rule that those who possess a subscription account with a deposit of at least 50,000 won six months before the Saemaeul Geumgo chairman election announcement are granted membership and voting rights, enticing voters by depositing 100,000 won per person as bait for each account.
Initially, the prosecution sought a prison sentence of 8 months to 1 year, considering the method of the crime. However, the court took into account the fact that A ultimately did not register as an actual candidate after the bribery and gave up running, which was reflected in the sentencing.
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The court stated, “The defendants’ actions undermined the fairness of the Saemaeul Geumgo election and warrant severe punishment, and the nature of the crime is not minor considering their methods. However, taking into account the negligible impact on the election due to the withdrawal from candidacy and their remorse, the sentences have been determined accordingly.”
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