'Election Law Violation' Lee Jeong-geun, Former Deputy Secretary-General of the Democratic Party, Receives Suspended Prison Sentence in Second Trial

Lee Jeong-geun, former Deputy Secretary-General of the Democratic Party, who is serving a prison sentence after being convicted of illegal fund receipt, was sentenced to a suspended prison term in the appeal trial of a separately prosecuted case for violating the Public Official Election Act.

The Criminal Division 7 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Lee Jae-kwon, Song Mi-kyung, Kim Seul-gi) on the 5th sentenced Lee, who was indicted for violating the Public Official Election Act and the Political Funds Act, to 6 months in prison with a 1-year suspension. A separate fine of 2 million won was imposed for the violation of the Political Funds Act.

The sentence was reduced compared to the first trial, where he was sentenced to '1 year in prison with a 2-year suspension and a fine of 2 million won.'

Lee Jung-geun, former Deputy Secretary-General of the Democratic Party (Photo by Yonhap News)

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Lee was prosecuted in September of the same year on charges of paying election campaign workers more than the allowed amount during the March 9, 2022, Seoul Seocho-gap by-election as the Democratic Party candidate for the National Assembly. He is also accused of receiving several million won from prospective candidates by leveraging nomination rights during the June 1 local elections of the same year.

Meanwhile, Lee is currently serving a prison sentence after being detained and indicted on charges of receiving 1 billion won in money and goods from businessman Park, under the pretext of a favor for personnel appointments and election expenses for the 21st general election. In December last year, the Supreme Court confirmed his sentence of 4 years and 2 months in prison. A large number of audio recordings secured from Lee's mobile phone became the starting point for the investigation into the Democratic Party’s party convention money envelope scandal.

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