Two opposition lawmakers taken into custody for election law violation

SEOUL, May 18 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors took two opposition party lawmakers into
custody Monday after the Supreme Court convicted them last week of violating
election laws in the run-up to last year's general election.

Suh Chung-won, co-chairman of the "Pro-Park Geun-hye Alliance," former lawmaker
Kim No-shik of the alliance and Kim Sun-ae, mother of the alliance's former
lawmaker Yang Jeong-lyea, were taken to the Seoul Detention House after they
arrived at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.
The splinter political group was formed by loyalists of Park Geun-hye, a one-time
presidential candidate and former chairwoman of the ruling Grand National Party.
Park is not officially affiliated with the Pro-Park party.
The highest court ruled Thursday that Suh is guilty of receiving 3.2 billion won
(US$2.5 million) from the two aspiring lawmakers, Kim and Yang, in return for
nominating them as the party's candidates in the general election held in April
last year. He was given an 18-month jail term.
In the ruling, the court also said Kim and Yang gave bribes to Suh. Kim was given
a one-year jail term, while Yang received a 10-month prison sentence, suspended
for two years.
The ruling also stripped the three lawmakers of their seats in the National
Assembly. Under 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
parliamentary seats.
The latest ruling reduced the minority opposition party's seats in the 299-seat
assembly from eight to five.
(END)