SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - Kweon Seong-dong, the former leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), was again sentenced on appeal to two years in prison for bribery charges on Tuesday.
The Seoul High Court upheld the earlier sentence in the first trial and ordered Kweon to forfeit 100 million won ($68,000) for accepting illegal political funds from the Unification Church, better known as the Moonies.
Earlier in January, Kweon was found guilty of receiving 100 million won from Yoon Young-ho, a senior official at the church in 2022 in return for political favors for the powerful religious sect.
The appellate court said that colluding with a religious group in state affairs undermines core democratic values including the principle of separation of church and state, making the offense particularly serious.
The court also said a strict punishment was unavoidable, given his failure to uphold his constitutional duties as a five-term lawmaker, but concluded that the lower court’s two-year sentence fell within a reasonable range and let it stand, citing his three decades of public service and no prior criminal record.
Kweon denied the allegations, saying he only had meals but never received any money. He also argued that his case fell outside the scope of investigations by independent prosecutors, but the appeals court dismissed his claims.
Kweon's ruling came just a day after Yoon was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the same case.
The Seoul High Court upheld the earlier sentence in the first trial and ordered Kweon to forfeit 100 million won ($68,000) for accepting illegal political funds from the Unification Church, better known as the Moonies.
Earlier in January, Kweon was found guilty of receiving 100 million won from Yoon Young-ho, a senior official at the church in 2022 in return for political favors for the powerful religious sect.
The appellate court said that colluding with a religious group in state affairs undermines core democratic values including the principle of separation of church and state, making the offense particularly serious.
The court also said a strict punishment was unavoidable, given his failure to uphold his constitutional duties as a five-term lawmaker, but concluded that the lower court’s two-year sentence fell within a reasonable range and let it stand, citing his three decades of public service and no prior criminal record.
Kweon denied the allegations, saying he only had meals but never received any money. He also argued that his case fell outside the scope of investigations by independent prosecutors, but the appeals court dismissed his claims.
Kweon's ruling came just a day after Yoon was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the same case.
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