Former Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lim Jong-seong, who was sent to trial on charges of receiving more than 100 million won in cash and valuables from the head of a construction company in the constituency, was sentenced to prison in the first trial.
The Criminal Agreement Division 12 of the Seoul Eastern District Court (presiding judge Lee Jeong-hyeong) on the 10th sentenced former lawmaker Lim to two years in prison on charges including violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes (bribery), the Political Funds Act, and the Act on the Prohibition of Improper Solicitation and Graft. The court also ordered the forfeiture of 18,547,500 won. However, it did not take Lim into custody in the courtroom.
From November 2019 to May 2021, the former lawmaker was indicted on suspicion of receiving a total of 100,210,000 won in cash and valuables, including having the construction company head in the constituency, a person surnamed Eom, pay on Lim's behalf for election office interior and fixtures expenses and plastic surgery expenses.
The former lawmaker is also suspected of receiving about 13,540,000 won in cash and valuables by taking and using a corporate card from a person surnamed Oh, an executive at another construction company in the constituency.
The court did not acknowledge the charge that the former lawmaker had the interior and fixtures expenses paid on Lim's behalf by Eom. Because Eom did not accurately inform Lim of the construction costs in advance, the court saw that the former lawmaker might not have recognized them.
However, the court found Lim guilty of having Eom pay 5 million won in surgery costs on Lim's behalf and misusing the corporate card handed over by Oh.
The court explained the reasoning for the sentence, saying, "While in a position among the social leadership that requires a high degree of expertise and ethics, Lim socialized with local business operators and took pecuniary gains, damaging the trust required of elected officials and causing distrust, making severe punishment necessary."
Earlier at the final hearing, prosecutors asked the court to sentence the former lawmaker to 12 years in prison and a fine of 300 million won.
A person surnamed Eom, who was indicted along with the former lawmaker, was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, and a person surnamed Oh was sentenced to one year in prison.
After the sentencing, the former lawmaker told reporters that Lim would appeal. Lim said, "The prosecution's sentencing recommendation was forced," and said, "It was a situation where (the interior expense) could not be recognized." Lim added, "Even though I gave cash equal to the (plastic surgery expense), the other party spoke as if only half was received, which led to a guilty verdict, but I think if it is corrected on appeal, it will come out as no charges."
Separate from this trial, the former lawmaker is under investigation by the joint prosecution-police investigation headquarters on suspicion of receiving 30 million won in cash and valuables from the Unification Church around the 2020 general election.