A Supreme Court ruling has stripped a five-term lawmaker of his badge. Kwon Seong-dong, convicted of taking 100 million won from the Unification Church, saw his two-year prison term finalized and lost his parliamentary seat.
The Supreme Court on July 16 upheld the two-year sentence for the People Power Party lawmaker on aggravated bribery charges, the Kyunghyang Shinmun and Chosun Ilbo reported. Lawmakers automatically lose their seats upon a finalized sentence of imprisonment or heavier.
광고 문의 · 300×250Kwon was indicted for allegedly receiving 100 million won in cash from the Unification Church and was convicted at trial and on appeal; the top court dismissed his final appeal.
The same day, the Supreme Court also finalized a 14-month prison term for Lee Jong-ho — a figure once called the closest confidant of former first lady Kim Keon-hee — on charges of lobbying the judiciary in the Deutsch Motors stock-manipulation case, the Kyunghyang reported.
With legal risks around figures in the former ruling circle materializing one after another, the political shockwaves are widening. Kwon's district now heads to a by-election.
The entanglement of political money with religious groups and business is a chronic ailment of Korean politics that spares neither party. Whether this ruling serves as a warning to funding practices remains to be seen.