Corruption Scandal: Former Gyeonggi Province Officials Sentenced for Bribery in ITS Project

Former and current members of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly have been sentenced to prison for accepting bribes related to the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) project.

On May 10th, the 2nd Criminal Division of the Ansan branch of the Suwon District Court, presided over by Judge Park Ji-young, held a sentencing hearing for eight defendants charged with violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery). The court imposed prison terms and fines on the assembly members.

The court handed down a 10-year prison sentence and a 300 million KRW (225,000 USD) fine to Assemblyman Park Se-won. Former Assemblyman Lee Gi-hwan received an 8-year prison sentence and a 250 million KRW (187,500 USD) fine. Former Assemblyman Jeong Seung-hyun was sentenced to 3 years in prison and fined 40 million KRW (30,000 USD). All defendants were also ordered to pay forfeitures. They have been in custody throughout the trial.

Former Hwaseong City Council Chairman Kim Hong-seong, charged with soliciting bribes under the Special Act, received a 1-year prison sentence suspended for 2 years and a forfeiture of 15.85 million KRW (11,887.50 USD).

Despite their denials, the court rejected the defendants’ claims.

The court strongly criticized the assembly members, stating, “As elected officials, they were obligated to maintain the integrity of their duties. Their acceptance of money and gifts, coupled with attempts to conceal their actions through third-party accounts and false tax invoices, demonstrates egregious misconduct.”

The court further emphasized, “This corruption severely undermines public trust in the decision-making processes of local councils and public institutions. Consequently, severe penalties are unavoidable to address these breaches of public trust.”

Four other defendants involved in delivering bribes and money laundering received sentences ranging from 18 to 30 months in prison, suspended for 3 to 4 years, along with fines between 30 million KRW (22,500 USD) and 150 million KRW (112,500 USD).

The court reportedly considered mitigating factors for some defendants, such as the absence of prior criminal records or lack of direct financial gain, when determining their sentences.

In a related case, businessman Kim, who was indicted for offering bribes worth approximately 280 million KRW (210,000 USD) to facilitate the ITS project, received a 5-year prison sentence. Kim allegedly provided money and gifts to the assembly members, requesting their assistance in securing priority allocation of special adjustment grants from Gyeonggi Province.