Leading ruling party lawmaker likely to retain Assembly seat

SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- Rep. Chung Mong-joon, a leading member of the ruling
Grand National Party, is expected to retain his parliamentary seat, as a Seoul
district court on Tuesday fined him 800,000 won (US$570) for inflating his
campaign pledges last year in violation of the election law.

Under the current election law, a jail term or a fine of over 1 million won, if
confirmed by the Supreme Court, results in the nullification of the recipient's
parliamentary seat.
Chung, internationally well known as vice president of FIFA, was indicted of
disingenuously saying to voters in his constituency in southern Seoul prior to
last April's general election that he had received a firm pledge from the Seoul
mayor regarding a housing redevelopment project in the district.
Prosecutors have said Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has never given any definite pledge
to Chung regarding the proposed redevelopment project in his electoral district,
which voters had hoped would raise local property prices.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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