Hong Nam-pyo, the mayor of Changwon Special City in South Gyeongsang Province, received a suspended prison sentence in a case where he was indicted for bribing candidates during the party's primary process ahead of the June 2022 local elections. Consequently, Mayor Hong's election was invalidated.
The Supreme Court's third division, led by Justice Lee Suk-yeon, dismissed Mayor Hong's appeal in the case of his violation of the Public Official Election Act on the 3rd and upheld the ruling from the second trial. Previously, Mayor Hong had been sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for one year, in the second trial. According to the Public Official Election Act, an elected official loses their office upon receiving a conviction of 1 million won or more for violating election laws.
Mayor Hong was indicted in November 2022 for allegedly colluding with Mr. A, the head of his election campaign, to offer a public office to Mr. B on the condition that Mr. B would not run in the primary for the Changwon mayoral candidate for the People Power Party ahead of the June 2022 local elections.
The first trial acquitted Mayor Hong. The first trial court acknowledged that Mr. A attempted to offer a public office to Mr. B but determined that the conspiracy involving Mayor Hong was not proven. The prosecution appealed the first trial ruling.
The ruling was overturned in the second trial. The second trial court annulled the first trial ruling and sentenced Mayor Hong to six months in prison, suspended for one year, which invalidated his election. The second trial court recognized the conspiracy relationship between Mayor Hong and Mr. A, stating that "this seriously undermined public trust, and the culpability is by no means light."
Mayor Hong's side appealed the second trial ruling. However, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, stating that there were no issues with the second trial ruling.