0
A sign for the prosecution service is seen in front of a prosecutors’ office building in Seoul. / Photo by Park Sung-il

Prosecutors have decided not to appeal the first-instance ruling against current and former lawmakers of the People Power Party (PPP) who were tried over the 2019 “National Assembly fast-track clash” case.

The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office said on November 27 that the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office had “decided, after in-depth review and consultations among the investigation team, trial team and the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, not to file appeals against any of the defendants in the first-instance ruling on the ‘National Assembly Act violation case involving the then Liberty Korea Party over the fast-track issue.’” The decision came about seven hours before the appeal deadline.

“The court clearly stated in its written judgment that the defendants’ conduct constituted obstruction of legislative activities through violent and other unlawful means, which is difficult to justify and carries significant culpability,” the prosecution said. “Nevertheless, it is regrettable that in some cases the sentences fell short of the prosecution’s sentencing requests,” it added.

However, the office explained that it ultimately decided not to appeal, taking into account that “the defendants were found guilty on the overall conduct, that their motives were not in pursuit of private gain, and that there is a need to minimize a dispute that has dragged on for nearly six years since the incident occurred.”

Earlier, the Seoul Southern District Court’s Criminal Division 11 (Presiding Judge Jang Chan) on November 20 sentenced PPP lawmaker Na Kyung-won to a fine of 20 million won for obstruction of the performance of special official duties and 4 million won for violating the National Assembly Act. Floor leader Song Eon-seok was fined 10 million won and 1.5 million won respectively on the same charges, while former prime minister and then Liberty Korea Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn received fines of 15 million won and 4 million won.

Under Korean law, a sitting lawmaker loses their seat if they receive a fine of 5 million won or more for violating the National Assembly Act, or if they are sentenced to imprisonment or heavier punishment in a general criminal case. In this ruling, however, all six incumbent PPP lawmakers involved (Na Kyung-won, Song Eon-seok, Kim Jung-jae, Lee Man-hee, Yoon Han-hong and Lee Chul-gyu) received fines below the 5 million won threshold for National Assembly Act violations, and thus did not face disqualification.