Lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea, including Park Beom-kye and Park Ju-min, who were brought to trial over the 2019 "National Assembly fast-track clash," had the imposition of fines suspended.
The Criminal Agreement Division 12 of the Seoul Southern District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Jeong-gon) on the 19th suspended a fine of 3 million won for Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Beom-kye, who was indicted on charges including violating the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts (joint assault). The court also suspended a 3 million won fine for lawmaker Park Ju-min.
The court fined Presidential Office political affairs secretary Kim Byung-wook 10 million won and former lawmaker Lee Jong-kul 5 million won. Former lawmaker Pyo Chang-won had the imposition of a 3 million won fine suspended. All defendants avoided penalties that would nullify their election. In ordinary criminal cases, a sentence of imprisonment or heavier is required for a lawmaker to lose a seat.
The court said, "Based on objective evidence such as internal National Assembly CCTV footage, the defendants' exercise of physical force and acts of assault can be recognized," and "all charges of violating the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts and joint assault are found guilty."
However, it explained the sentencing reasons by noting, "We considered that the offenses were unavoidably triggered in a special legislative environment where the National Assembly was paralyzed and proceedings were halted for an extended period due to occupation and blockade within the National Assembly by officials of the Liberty Korea Party (now the People Power Party)."
Earlier, at the sentencing hearing on the 19th, prosecutors asked the court to impose fines ranging from 2 million to 15 million won on the defendants, including 4 million won for lawmaker Park Beom-kye and 3 million won for lawmaker Park Ju-min.
Democratic Party of Korea former and incumbent lawmakers leaving the courtroom asserted their innocence and said they would appeal. Lawmaker Park Ju-min said, "It is difficult to accept a suspended imposition of sentence when it is objectively and clearly confirmed by the evidence that no direct act of violence was committed." Political affairs secretary Kim Byung-wook said, "We will appeal and bring the substantive truth to light."
However, lawmaker Park Beom-kye said, "I am physically and mentally exhausted by this trial, so I am asking myself whether I should appeal."
Previously, the Democratic Party of Korea joined hands with minor opposition parties and moved to forcibly pass bills strongly opposed by the then-largest opposition Liberty Korea Party, including the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and an amendment to the Public Official Election Act introducing a mixed-member proportional representation system. To do so, they sought to designate the bills as fast-track items, and as the People Power Party side occupied standing committee conference rooms and the National Assembly's bill office and staged sit-ins, physical clashes broke out.
Ten people, including Democratic Party of Korea former and incumbent lawmakers, aides, and party officials including Park, were indicted on charges of engaging in scuffles with Liberty Korea Party lawmakers and party officials or causing injury in the process.
Earlier, 26 people, including People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won, who were indicted over the fast-track clash, were fined in the first trial. However, for violations of the National Assembly Act, fines were under 5 million won, and six incumbent lawmakers were thus able to keep their seats. Prosecutors said, "The defendants' motives were not in pursuit of private gain," and gave up appeals, while eight people, including Na, appealed.