Former lawmaker called alleged bribe-giver a '16-time convict' at trial hearing — fined 700,000 won

Former Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker No Ung-rae arrives for his first-instance sentencing at Seoul Central District Court on Nov. 26 last year. [Yonhap]
Former Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker No Ung-rae arrives for his first-instance sentencing at Seoul Central District Court on Nov. 26 last year. [Yonhap]

Former Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker No Ung-rae, who was acquitted of bribery charges after prosecutors dropped their final appeal, has been handed a confirmed fine for publicly disclosing the criminal record of the businessman identified as the alleged bribe-giver.

The Supreme Court's Third Division rejected No's appeal on Oct. 1, finalizing a lower court's ruling that fined him 700,000 won ($523) on defamation charges, according to legal sources Sunday.

No was indicted on defamation charges after remarks he made in May 2023 at the first hearing of his bribery trial. Referring to a co-defendant surnamed Park, who was identified as the alleged bribe-giver, No told the court: "Prosecutors are branding me a criminal based solely on the word of someone with 16 prior convictions." The statement was found to have damaged Park's reputation.

Both the first and second instance courts found No guilty of defamation and sentenced him to a fine of 700,000 won.

In its ruling in May, the appellate court rejected No's argument that he had no intent to defame and that his remarks were protected as speech on a matter of public interest. "To challenge the propriety of the prosecution's actions, there was no need to go beyond contesting the charges and disclose the informant's criminal history," the court said.

The underlying bribery allegations centered on claims that No received a total of 60 million won from Park in five installments between February and December 2020, in exchange for helping facilitate permits for a logistics center and providing assistance with a power plant supply project and a solar energy project. No was acquitted at both the first and second instance trials in that case, and his acquittal was confirmed in August after prosecutors declined to appeal.


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