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| Rep. Lee Koon-hyon |
The Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling, Thursday, which sentenced him to two years in prison suspended for three years.
According to the relevant law, a lawmaker loses their seat when receiving a court sentence of 1 million won ($892) in fines or heavier, including prison or suspended jail terms.
The four-term lawmaker took 246 million won from his aides' salaries and spent it on the salaries of other workers unregistered with the Assembly and for the rent of his office in his constituency of Tongyeong and Goseong in South Gyeongsang Province, from July 2011 to December 2015.
He also did not report several bank accounts to the National Election Commission and received political funds through the accounts. Lee also took 15 million won in illicit political funds in 2011 from a businessman, who was his high school alumnus.
"To prevent such irregularities from recurring, a heavy penalty to deprive him of his lawmaker position is inevitable," the court said.
The former educator became a lawmaker in 2004 at the 17th National Assembly under a proportional representation system. He was then elected in the constituency of his hometown from the 18th to the 20th Assembly.
