Seoul: The Supreme Court has confirmed a lower court's decision, sentencing former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young to seven years and eight months in prison. Lee was convicted of accepting bribes from the Ssangbangwool Group, an underwear manufacturer, and participating in an unauthorized remittance to North Korea.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Suwon High Court initially sentenced Lee in December of the previous year, imposing a fine of 250 million won (approximately US$184,300) and ordering the forfeit of around 326 million won. Lee held the vice governorship from 2018 to 2020, during the tenure of then-Governor and current President Lee Jae-myung.

Lee Hwa-young faced indictment in October 2022 for charges involving the receipt of political funds and bribes totaling approximately 334 million won from Ssangbangwool between July 2018 and July 2022. He was also implicated in the group's transfer of US$8 million to North Korea between 2019 and 2020.