Seoul:A Seoul district court has sentenced independent lawmaker Kang Sun-woo to 2 1/2 years in prison for receiving money in exchange for an election nomination. Kang, a former member of the Democratic Party (DP), was also ordered to forfeit 100 million won (approximately US$75,000).

According to Yonhap News Agency, prosecutors had initially sought a four-year prison term for Kang, accusing her of accepting the sum from former Seoul city councilor Kim Kyung in January 2022 in return for a DP nomination ahead of that year's local elections. At the time, Kang was part of the DP's nomination committee for Seoul city councilors, and Kim went on to be elected in the 2022 local elections.

The court also sentenced Kim to one year in prison and imposed an eight-month suspended prison term for two years on a former aide to Kang for facilitating the meeting between Kang and Kim. Both Kang and Kim were ordered to be immediately detained, with the court expressing concerns over potential flight risks and evidence tampering. They had been released on bail last month after being indicted under physical detention.

The court found that the defendants exchanged illegal political funds, which it said undermined the fairness of elections and severely damaged public trust. Kang left the DP earlier this year after a recording surfaced in which she was heard discussing the money with former DP floor leader Kim Byung-kee. Additionally, prosecutors have indicted Kang on further charges of receiving illegal donations totaling 130 million won from Kim through various borrowed names after the elections.