Prosecutors seek prison term for opposition lawmaker

SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Yonhap) -- State prosecutors said Thursday that they are seeking a prison term for a lawmaker accused of having taken bribes ahead of the general election in April.

In a court hearing, prosecutors said they are calling for a two-and-a-half year prison term for Rep. Moon Kook-hyun, chairman of the minor opposition Renewal of Korea Party.

They said Moon, who ran in the 2007 presidential election and won a seat against a confidant of President Lee Myung-bak in northern Seoul, took 600 million won (US$400,534) in exchange for getting Lee Han-jung a proportional seat in the National Assembly in clear violation of the country's election law.

Under South Korean election law, lawmakers are elected either by direct vote or
through a proportional seat given to a party.
In response to the charges, Moon stressed that if he broke the law he would not
object to being punished, but insisted that the charges are false.
Related to the trial, the court has already sentenced Rep. Lee to a prison term
that will cause him to lose his seat.
The court is scheduled to sentence Moon on Dec. 5.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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