The first trial for Kang Sun-woo, an independent lawmaker, and Kim Kyung, a former Seoul city councilor, accused of 'split donations,' is set to begin this week.
According to legal sources on the 25th, the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 1, presided over by Judge Lee Chun-geun, will hold the first hearing for Kang and Kim on the 30th regarding violations of the Political Fund Act.
Kim is accused of using the names of 23 acquaintances to transfer over 130 million won in donations to Kang after the June 2022 local elections. Kang has also been indicted for receiving illegal donations.
Prosecutors allege that Kang returned 100 million won to Kim in January of the same year as a kickback for political nominations and then received it again through the split donation method.
This case is separate from the so-called '100 million won political donation' incident, where the two exchanged a shopping bag containing 100 million won in cash as part of a political nomination deal ahead of the January 2022 local elections.
At that time, Kang was a member of the nomination management committee for the Democratic Party's Seoul city council candidates, while Kim received a single nomination in Kang's district of Gangseo-gu, Seoul, and was elected.
Kang was sentenced to two years and six months in prison and ordered to forfeit 100 million won in a first trial held on the 14th related to this case, and he was taken into custody. This trial was also overseen by the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 1.
Kim received a one-year prison sentence. Both the prosecution and Kim did not appeal, making the ruling final.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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