Seongnam Jiwon, sentenced to 6 months in prison and 2 years in prison... “Undermining the democratic process of elections”
Quick Look
- Seongnam Branch Detective 2 sentenced Jeong Yong-han, a Gyeonggi Provincial lawmaker belonging to the People Power Party, to six months in prison and two years of probation on charges of violating the principle of secret voting and forcing vote certification in the Seongnam City Council chairman election.
- The prosecution requested one year in prison, and if the ruling is confirmed, Rep.
- Chung will lose his seat as a member of the National Assembly.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
On June 26, 2024, Rep. Jeong Yong-han was indicted on charges of violating the principle of secret voting by ordering a council member of the same party to take a photo of a ballot paper while he was serving as a representative of the People Power Party of Seongnam City Council and forcing him to upload it to the party's SNS group chat room.
Seongnam Jiwon, sentenced to 6 months in prison and 2 years in prison... “Undermining the democratic process of elections”
(Seongnam = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Woo-seong = Gyeonggi Provincial Councilor Jeong Yong-han (Seongnam 8), who was sent to trial on charges of violating the principle of secret voting and forcing vote certification during the chairman election process while he was a representative of the People Power Party of Seongnam City Council, Gyeonggi Province, was sentenced to a suspended prison sentence in the first trial.
On the 9th, Suwon District Court Seongnam Branch Criminal Division Chief Judge Na Kyung sentenced Rep. Jeong, who was indicted on charges of obstruction of official duties by hierarchy, to six months in prison and two years of probation. The prosecution's sentence was one year in prison.
If this ruling is confirmed, Rep. Chung will lose his seat as a member of the National Assembly. An elected official loses his/her position if a sentence of imprisonment or higher is confirmed in a general criminal case.
The court stated the reason for the conviction, saying, “We recognize him as guilty on all counts in the indictment,” and “The defendant is guilty of leading the crime, and he needs to be severely punished for undermining the democratic process of elections.”
The ruling continued, “He denies the crime, and the fact that he was previously sentenced to a fine of 1 million won in another case was considered as an unfavorable circumstance in sentencing.”
On June 26, 2024, when Rep. Jeong was the representative member of the People Power Party of Seongnam City Council, during the election of the chairman for the second half of the 9th city council, he was indicted on charges of violating the secret voting principle and interfering with the chairman election process by having a city council member of the same party take a photo of the ballot paper and then upload it to a social media group chat room belonging to fellow members of his party.
Rep. Jeong announced his intention to appeal immediately after the sentencing.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Representative Jeong Yong-han will file an appeal.
Very likely · Within weeks
If the ruling is confirmed, Rep. Jeong Yong-han will lose his seat as a member of the National Assembly.
Very likely · Within months
Open Questions
- What are the chances that the sentence will be changed on appeal?
- What is the schedule for a by-election if a member loses his or her seat?
- Are there other parties involved in the same incident?
