Seoul: Incumbent and former lawmakers of the predecessor of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) were sentenced to fines by a court on Thursday over their involvement in a physical altercation at the National Assembly in 2019.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the clash took place in April 2019 when the PPP's predecessor, the Liberty Korea Party (LKP), attempted to physically block the then ruling Democratic Party and minor parties from fast-tracking a package of reform bills. This package included a bill aimed at establishing an independent agency to investigate corruption involving high-ranking government officials. The situation intensified when a minor party lawmaker was confined in his office for five hours by LKP members.

The Seoul Southern District Court sentenced Rep. Na Kyung-won of the PPP, who served as the LKP's floor leader at the time, to a fine of 24 million won (US$16,300). Rep. Song Eon-seok, the current floor leader of the PPP, received a fine of 11.5 million won, while former Prime Minister and former LKP leader Hwang Kyo-ahn was fined 19 million won.

In the previous court hearing, prosecutors had requested prison terms of two years, 1 1/2 years, and 10 months and a fine of 2 million won for Na, Hwang, and Song, respectively.