Yang faces seat loss

[Anchor]

During the last general election, Democratic Party lawmaker Yang Moon-seok, who was embroiled in allegations of improper loans, has been sentenced in the second trial to a penalty that would result in the loss of his parliamentary seat.

Meanwhile, fellow Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sang-sik, who was indicted for spreading false information related to underreporting his assets, received a reduced sentence in the second trial and avoided losing his seat.

Kim Bo-dam reports.

[Report]

An apartment in Gangnam, Seoul.

Five years ago, Democratic Party member Yang Moon-seok purchased it under joint ownership with his spouse.

However, allegations arose that to secure the funds for this apartment purchase, a 'business loan' was taken out in the name of his college student daughter, leading to charges of fraud and other offenses, and he was eventually brought to trial last September.

The first trial court sentenced Yang to 1 year and 6 months in prison, with a 3-year probation, stating that his daughter had no intention of using the loan for business purposes and that false information was provided to obtain the business loan.

The court also deemed Yang's explanation that the bank had suggested the loan first to be false.

For the violation of the Public Official Election Act related to this false explanation, he was sentenced to a fine of 1.5 million won, which is equivalent to losing his parliamentary seat.

The second trial's judgment was the same.

The second trial court upheld the original ruling, dismissing both Yang's and the prosecutor's appeals.

[Yang Moon-seok/Democratic Party member: "(The ruling is the same as the first trial, please share your thoughts.) Yes, I will go to the Supreme Court and contest it."]

If this ruling is confirmed by the Supreme Court, Yang will lose his parliamentary seat.

In contrast, Lee Sang-sik, also from the same party, who was sentenced to a fine of 3 million won in the first trial for spreading false information regarding allegations of underreporting his assets, received a reduced sentence in the second trial and avoided losing his parliamentary seat.

The second trial court stated, "The dissemination of false information did not significantly affect the final choice of the voters," and imposed a fine of 900,000 won.

KBS News, Kim Bo-dam.