Lenient outcome · Comparison Pair · Election-law violation
Incumbent lawmaker: suspended sentence below ₩1M, keeps seat
Harm
~₩30M unreported campaign expenses
Sentence
₩90만 fine
Court
District Court / Supreme Court
Guideline
—
Comparison thesis
Outsider candidate: ₩2M fine = seat lost. Incumbent: ₩900K fine = seat preserved.
Strict outcome
₩200만 fine
₩2M fine → automatic loss of seat
Outsider candidate fined ₩2M, loses seat for minor leaflet error
Ordinary citizen · Harm: 12-hour-late leaflet, no monetary harm
Lenient outcome · current case
₩90만 fine
₩900,000 fine — seat preserved
Incumbent lawmaker: suspended sentence below ₩1M, keeps seat
Politician · Harm: ~₩30M unreported campaign expenses
The ₩1M threshold to lose a seat creates an incentive — and recurring pattern — for courts to assess fines just below it for incumbents while routinely exceeding it for newcomers.
Case summary
An incumbent lawmaker who allegedly funneled approximately ₩30 million in unreported campaign expenses received a fine just below the ₩1,000,000 threshold required to lose his seat — a recurring pattern critics call 'sentence-shaping' (양형 봐주기) tailored to keep incumbents in office.
Disparity flags
Sources
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