Gyeongnam Province Governor Kim Kyung-soo, who was handed over to trial for participating in illegal public opinion manipulation using
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comments, was sentenced to two years in prison by the Supreme Court. Governor Kim lost his position as governor of Gyeongnam and is expected to be imprisoned again soon.
Correspondent Hong Young-jae.
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Special Prosecutor Heo Ik-beom handed over Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo to trial in August 2018 on charges of manipulating the rankings of comments on portal sites during the last presidential election and proposing the post of Consul-General in Sendai to Drooking, who took the lead in manipulating comments.
Three years after the trial began, the Supreme Court yesterday (21st) confirmed the lower court ruling that sentenced Governor Kim to two years in prison.
The fact that Governor Kim conspired with Drooking was that there was no mistake in the misunderstanding of the law.
In particular, as to whether or not to attend the King Crab Demonstration on November 9, 2016, which was particularly controversial, as in the second trial, Governor Kim did not accept the claim that he did not see the King Crab Demonstration because he had a meal with Drooking.
It was concluded that the judgment of the second trial, which acquitted him of the charge of proposing the office of Consul General in Sendai, was justified.
[Heo Ik-beom/Special Prosecutor: It is a punishment for the act of a politician using a private organization to manipulate internet public opinion to participate in the election campaign… .]
Governor Kim emphasized his innocence to the end by saying that the truth will return to its place no matter how far away it is thrown.
[Kim Kyung-soo/Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do: I will fully bear the part I have to endure. However, the fact that finding the truth through the courts is blocked does not change the truth.]
Governor Kim immediately lost his position as governor, and even after two years of imprisonment, he cannot run for office for five years.
Prosecutors sent an official letter to the Changwon District Prosecutor's Office, which has jurisdiction over the residence of Governor Kim, to be sentenced to imprisonment.