Rep. Moon Kook-hyun |
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
Moon Kook-hyun, leader of the minor opposition Renewal of Korea Party, was stripped of his National Assembly seat, Thursday, after the Supreme Court upheld a ruling made by the high court last year.
The founder and chairman of the party was sentenced to an eight-month jail term, suspended for two years, after he was charged of being involved in a secret cash-for-parliamentary-seat deal.
His loss of the paliamentary seat has a more symbolic than ground-breaking effect on the political landscape, because he led a party that used to have only three seats.
Now, only two lawmakers ― Reps. Lee Yong-kyung and You Won-il ― remain in the Assembly.
Under the campaign law, elected lawmakers automatically lose seats if they are sentenced to a jail term or are fined 1 million won (approximately $844) or more.
A by-election will take place in Eunpyeong, Seoul, next July to fill the void vacated by Moon.
So far, 16 lawmakers have lost seats due to violations of the campaign law since the 18th National Assembly opened last year.
Opposition parties expressed deep regret over the ruling, saying the jail term suspended for two years is excessive.
Moon, a former chief executive of diaper and toilet tissue maker Yuhan Kimberly, joined the National Assembly after winning the election last year over former lawmaker Lee Jae-oh, now chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.
Moon unsuccessfully ran in the presidential election in 2007, garnering approximately 1.4 million votes, which accounts for 5.8 percent of total eligible votes.
Despite the defeat, his vote count was considered a moderate success because it was his first campaign.
hkang@koreatimes.co.kr
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