GNP Lawmaker Lee Deok-mo to Lose his Seat

The third division of the Supreme Court (Chief Justice Kang Shin-wook) on February 18 confirmed its original ruling that the Grand National Party member Lee Deok-mo from Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province should pay 15 million won in fines in the final appeal. Lee had been charged with alleged violation of the public offices election and fair election laws.

Lawmaker Lee lost his membership in the National Assembly on the same day under the article of the election law, which states, “The election of a successful candidate should be nullified when he or she is sentenced to imprisonment or fines of more than one million won.

This has decreased the number of lawmakers registered in the Assembly to 296: 149 seats for the Uri Party, 120 for the Grand National Party, 10 for the Democratic Labor Party, nine for Millennium Democratic Party and others.

Lee is the first GNP member in the 17th National Assembly to lose his membership due to violation of the election law. Now, there are three lawmakers who lost their seats in the 17th National Assembly including former member of the Uri Party Lee Sang-rak (from Joongwon, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province) and Oh Shi-deok (from Gongju-Yeongi, South Chungcheong Province.)

There will be reelections to replace their posts in these three regions on April 30.

Lee Deok-mo was arrested and accused on charges of having bribed his election camp workers 29 million won for operation fees between August 2003 and early February 2004 leading up to the general elections of the 17th National Assembly.

On the same day, the third division of the Supreme Court (Chief Justice Byun Jae-seung), in the final ruling, also confirmed its original decision that Uri Party lawmaker Jang Yeong-dal was not guilty, as he had been accused of alleged violation of the public offices election and fair election law.

Lawmaker Jang had been sentenced by the prosecution to pay 700,000 won in fines on charges of having worked with a director of his election camp to place placards downtown, promoting his election pledge to activate the center of his local constituency, Jeonju, North Jeolla Province in March of last year, right before the general elections of the 17th Assembly. Yet, he was found not guilty in the first and second trials.

jin0619@donga.com