Yoon Kwan-seok, a former lawmaker involved in the ‘money envelope scandal’ of the Democratic Party’s national convention, has been found guilty. According to legal circles on the 31st, the Supreme Court’s Division 2 (Chief Justice Oh Kyung-mi) upheld the lower court’s ruling, which sentenced former lawmaker Yoon to two years in prison for violating the Political Parties Act. The Supreme Court stated there was no misunderstanding of the legal principles regarding the violation of the Political Parties Act in the guilty verdict of the lower courts.
In May 2021, ahead of the Democratic Party’s national convention, former lawmaker Yoon was indicted for allegedly receiving 60 million won from primary campaign officials to distribute to incumbent lawmakers to secure the election of Song Young-gil, the former representative (now leader of the Pine Party). Kang Rae-gu, a key campaign official and former standing auditor of Korea Water Resources Corporation, conveyed Yoon’s request to Park Yong-soo, Song’s aide. Park was found to have provided Yoon with 20 envelopes, each containing 3 million won, on April 27-28, 2021.
Yoon denied the charges, arguing that he only helped arrange the distribution of money envelopes in consultation with campaign officials, and that he neither directed nor requested them, claiming he was merely a messenger. However, both the first and second trial courts concluded that Yoon exercised sufficient discretion, such as determining the specific amounts to be given, and sentenced him to two years in prison. Although Yoon appealed, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, affirming the lower court’s decision.