Suwon: An appellate court has upheld a fine against ruling Democratic Party Representative Yang Moon-seok, in a decision that may lead to the loss of his parliamentary seat. The Suwon High Court confirmed a previous ruling, imposing an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for three years, for fraud charges, alongside a 1.5 million won (US$1,097) fine for violating the Public Official Election Act.
According to Yonhap News Agency, under existing law, National Assembly members are disqualified if a fine of at least 1 million won for election law violations is upheld. Yang is facing allegations of securing a fraudulent loan in 2021 and underreporting his apartment's value during his candidate registration for the 2024 general elections. Should the Supreme Court finalize this ruling, Yang will be unseated from the Assembly.
In a related matter, the Suwon High Court has sentenced Democratic Party Representative Lee Sang-sik to a fine of 900,000 won for false statements made prior to the general elections, allowing him to retain his parliamentary position. This sentence marks a reduction from an earlier fine of 3 million won imposed by a lower court.