Seoul: The wife of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) leader, Lee Jae-myung, has lodged an appeal against a court decision fining her for providing free meals during Lee's campaign in the party primary for the 2022 presidential election, according to sources familiar with the matter. According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim Hye-kyung submitted her appeal to the Suwon District Court, located south of Seoul, through her legal representatives. She was previously found guilty of offering meals valued at 104,000 won (approximately US$74.43) to the spouses of three former and current party lawmakers, as well as three of her aides, at a restaurant in Seoul in August 2021, shortly after Lee announced his candidacy for the party election. Last Thursday, the court imposed a fine of 1.5 million won on Kim. The court determined that Kim was culpable for allowing her secretary to use a corporate card issued by the Gyeonggi regional government-where her husband served as governor at the time-to pay for the meals. Kim has consistently denied the charges, describing the court's decision as a "guilty conviction based on assumption." Her appeal seeks to overturn the ruling and challenge the basis of the court's findings.