Seoul: The wife of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung has lodged an appeal against a court decision that penalized her for allegedly breaching election laws during her husband's campaign for the party primary in the 2022 presidential election. Kim Hye-kyung, the wife in question, took legal steps to challenge the verdict handed down by the Suwon District Court, located just south of Seoul. According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim Hye-kyung filed the appeal through her legal representatives, maintaining her innocence against accusations of providing free meals valued at 104,000 won (approximately US$74.43) to the wives of three former and current party lawmakers, as well as three aides, at a dining establishment in Seoul in August 2021. This incident occurred shortly after her husband, Lee Jae-myung, officially announced his candidacy for the party's presidential primary. Last Thursday, the court imposed a fine of 1.5 million won on Kim. The ruling was based on findings that Kim had permitted her secretary to utilize a corporate card from the Gyeonggi regional government-where Lee was serving as governor at the time-to cover the meal expenses. Despite the court's decision, Kim has consistently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the conviction was a "guilty conviction based on assumption."