lawmaker-trial

PPP lawmaker sentenced to 2 years in prison for accepting funds from Unification Church

SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court on Wednesday sentenced Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) to two years in prison for accepting 100 million won (US$70,336) in political funds from the Unification Church.

The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence against Kweon after special counsel Min Joong-ki's team had sought a four-year prison term on charges of accepting the money from a former Unification Church official in January 2022.

"Lawmakers should carry out their duties according to their conscience while prioritizing the national interest based on the constitutional duty of integrity," the court said. "The defendant's crime is an act that abandoned the people's expectations and his constitutional duty."

The five-term lawmaker was known as one of ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol's close confidants and served as the PPP's floor leader until June last year. The special counsel team placed him under arrest in September and indicted him the following month.

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