By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
A lawmaker of the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) was fined 15 million won Monday for violation of the Labor Law, which put an end to a case that has dragged on for 13 years. Despite the verdict, he will retain his National Assembly seat.
Rep. Kwon Young-ghil was indicted in December 1995 on charges of leading street protests and occupying roads in Seoul during a protest with about 10,000 unionized workers.
The Supreme Court confirmed an appeals court ruling that ordered him to pay the fine instead of serving an eight-month jail sentence suspended for two years.
The two-term lawmaker was accused of violating the Labor Dispute Adjustment Act because he, as the head of a preparatory committee to organize a nationwide labor union, led street rallies in 1994 and 1995.
According to the act, a third party separated from employees, their unions or their employers is prohibited from involvement in labor disputes.
The act was abolished on Dec. 31, 1996 as it was found to be against international labor standards.
After a district court sentenced him to the jail term in 2001, Kwon, who was serving as the DLP chairman, appealed. But hearings in the appeals court were delayed several times due to elections.
Five years later, the high court overruled the lower court ruling and reduced his penalty to a fine of 15 million won since the law had been abolished.
The lawmaker appealed again but the Supreme Court confirmed the verdict, saying that he violated the act by leading protests as a third party.
The National Assembly Law stipulates to deprive a lawmaker of his or her Assembly seat when the person is fined more than one million won and is sentenced to a jail term for breaking other laws.
Kwon remained silent about the ruling and joined a sit-in protest with other opposition lawmakers to call for a thorough investigation into Kong Jung-tack, the superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, for allegedly receiving illicit campaign funds.