The nation’s top court on Thursday upheld a six-month jail term for a ruling party lawmaker convicted of receiving illegal political funds, a verdict that stripped him of his seat.
The Supreme Court handed down the decision on Park Sang-eun of the ruling Saenuri Party. Still, the prison term was suspended for one year, meaning that Park would not have to serve prison time if he stayed out of trouble during that period.
It is the latest in a string of bribery convictions involving lawmakers in recent weeks.
Park was convicted of taking some 80 million won ($67,000) from a local feed manufacturing company, a shipping association and the Institute of Korean Studies from August 2007 to July 2012.
The court also ordered the 66-year-old lawmaker to forfeit 80 million won.
Park was stripped of his parliamentary seat, lowering the number of seats held by the ruling party in the 293-member parliament to 156.
Last month, three other lawmakers — two from the ruling party and one from the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy — also lost their parliamentary seats for separate bribery convictions. (Yonhap)
