Six Years After the 'Fast-track System Clash,' First Trial Verdict Approaches: Will Lawmakers Lose Their Seats?

[Financial News] On the 20th, the first trial verdict will be delivered for the leadership of the former Liberty Korea Party, now the People Power Party, who were indicted over the 2019 fast-track system clash between the ruling and opposition parties at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea.
The Seoul Southern District Court's Criminal Agreement Division 11 (Presiding Judge Jang Chan) will hold a sentencing hearing at 2 p.m. for Na Kyung-won, a People Power Party lawmaker; Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of Freedom & Innovation and former Liberty Korea Party leader; Song Eon-seok, People Power Party floor leader; and others, who are charged with obstruction of official duties and violations of the National Assembly Act. The verdict comes six years and seven months after the incident and five years and ten months after the indictment.
They were brought to trial for allegedly confining Bareunmirae Party lawmaker Chae Yi-bae in his office and occupying the legislative bill office as well as the meeting rooms of the Special Committee on Political Reform and the Special Committee on Judicial Reform in April 2019.
At the time, the ruling and opposition parties fiercely clashed over whether to place bills such as the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the introduction of the Mixed-Member Proportional Representation System on the fast-track system. The Prosecution Service indicted 27 individuals, including Hwang Kyo-ahn, Na Kyung-won, Liberty Korea Party lawmakers, and aides, without detention in January 2020. Among them, former People Power Party lawmaker Chang Je-won, who has since passed away, had his case dismissed.
If an incumbent lawmaker is confirmed to have violated the National Assembly Act and receives a fine of 5 million won or more, they will lose their parliamentary seat.
At the previous sentencing hearing in September, the Prosecution Service requested a sentence of one year and six months in prison for Hwang Kyo-ahn and two years for Na Kyung-won. They also sought 10 months in prison and a 2 million won fine for floor leader Song Eon-seok; 10 months in prison and a 3 million won fine for lawmakers Lee Man Hee and Kim Jong-jae; six months in prison and a 3 million won fine for lawmaker Yoon Han-hong; and a 3 million won fine for lawmaker Lee Cheol-gyu.
[email protected] Jang Yoo-ha, Park Sung-hyun Reporter