The spouse of Mokpo Mayor Park Hong-ryul was sentenced to a suspended prison term for violating the Public Official Election Act, resulting in the invalidation of Mayor Park's election.
The Public Official Election Act stipulates that if the spouse of an elected official receives a fine of 3 million won or more or a prison sentence for violating the act, the election is rendered invalid.
The Supreme Court's First Division, led by Justice Shin Suk-hee, upheld the lower court's decision to sentence Mrs. A, the wife of Mayor Park, to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 3-year suspended sentence for violating the Public Official Election Act.
Mrs. A is accused of orchestrating an attempt to induce the invalidation of the election of former Mokpo Mayor Kim Jong-sik, her opponent in the local election, by having an accomplice demand money from B, Kim's wife.
The first trial previously acquitted Mrs. A, but the second trial noted that "Mrs. A recognized her involvement in the crime to induce the invalidation of Kim's election and that there was a conspiracy with her accomplices," thus sentencing her to a suspended prison term.
Mrs. A filed an appeal against the ruling, but the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal on this day, stating that "the lower court did not misinterpret the legal principles regarding the establishment of the crime of violating the Public Official Election Act."