Kim Hye-kyung was fined 1.5 million won in the first trial for violating the election law... "I will appeal."

[Anchor]
Kim Hye-kyung, the spouse of Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is accused of violating the Public Official Election Act by providing meals to officials of the Democratic Party of Korea with a corporate card in Gyeonggi Province during the last presidential election, was fined 1.5 million won in the first trial.

The court pointed out that Kim appeared to pass on the responsibility to his secretary, but Kim said he would appeal, saying he was found guilty only by speculation.

There is a reporter on the scene. Reporter Shin Gwihye!

[Reporter]
Yes, it's in the Suwon District Court.

[Anchor]
Please tell me what the court sentence is.

[Reporter]
The Suwon District Court today fined Kim Hye-kyung 1.5 million won for violating the Public Official Election Act.

The court pointed out that Kim denied the crime and showed that he was shifting the blame to his secretary Bae.

He also said that he made donations through his secretary Bae, who was a public servant at the time, and that there was a risk of harming the fairness and transparency of the election.

Kim was put on trial in August 2021, after her husband, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, announced his candidacy for the presidential election, on charges of providing meals worth 104,000 won to six people, including the spouses of former and current Democratic lawmakers, to get help in the race.

Bae, the secretary of the execution, paid for the meal with the Gyeonggi-do Provincial Government's corporate card.

In a final hearing held last month, the prosecution demanded a fine of 3 million won, saying Kim was trying to buy the spouses of influential politicians.

[Anchor]
Did the court believe that Kim Hye-kyung knew the process of Bae, the secretary of execution, paying for meals with a corporate card in Gyeonggi Province?

[Reporter]
That's right.

Whether Kim knew about the corporate card payment was the most important issue in this trial.

The court believes that Bae, the secretary of performance, acted under Kim's acquiescence or tolerance, saying that there is no specific motive or incentive to pay for meals with a corporate card only for his own interests.

In addition, he judged that Kim was able to fully recognize the payment of the corporate card given the situation of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, where the corporate card was not properly managed at the time, and the way Bae, who assisted Kim at a close distance as an executive secretary, held a meal meeting around the same time.

Kim's side expressed strong regret immediately after the sentence, saying that the conviction was made only by speculation and indirect evidence.

At the same time, he expressed his intention to appeal, saying that the key issues were not properly addressed.

So far, I'm YTN Shin Gwihye from Suwon District Court.