Supreme Court Ruling Might Lead to More Open Electoral District Seats

With the Supreme Court scheduled to sentence four lawmakers indicted on charges of violating election law on September 29, a possible increase in the number of electoral district seats for the by-election slated for October 26 is drawing attention from the public.

The lawmakers who are scheduled to be sentenced from the Supreme Court are two Uri Party lawmakers Kang Sung-jong (Uijeongbu-eul, Gyeonggi Province), Rhyu Si-min (Deokyang-gap, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province), Grand National Party lawmaker Shin Sang-jin (Jungwon-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province), and Democratic Labor Party lawmaker Cho Seong-soo (Ulsan-buk).

Among them, Kang and Cho, who were prosecuted on charges of violating election law during the 17th general election, were sentenced to eight million won in fines and 1.5 million won in fines in their second trials, respectively.

Shin, who was indicted on charges of leading a doctors’ strike regarding separation of dispensaries from medical practices in 2000 (a violation of medical law and fair trade law), was sentenced to one year in prison with a stay of execution for two years in his second trial.

Currently, if lawmakers are condemned to more than one million won in fines or more than imprisonment in their final trials, they are supposed to forfeit their seats in the National Assembly. Accordingly, Kang, Cho and Shin will be deprived of their seats if their original judgments are confirmed by the Supreme Court.

Rhyu was indicted on charges of distributing false information during the 17th general election, but was found not guilty in an appellate court.

Up until now, the electoral districts for the upcoming by-election are Wonmi-gap, Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province (former Uri Party lawmaker Kim Gi-suk), Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province (former Grand National Party lawmaker Park Hyuk-gyu) and Dong-eul, Daegu (former Grand National Party lawmaker Park Chang-dal).

Meanwhile, among the 17th general election winners, the number of lawmakers indicted on charges of violating election law is 47. Among them, 40 lawmakers were sentenced and nine lawmakers lost their seats.

jin0619@donga.com