The top court upheld the Seoul High Court’s one year prison term for Chung, who was accused of distributing false information in 2007 that then presidential candidate Lee led a large-scale stock manipulation and other financial fraud in 2001.

During the presidential election campaign period, Chung suggested documents, photos and other evidence as what he claims to be proof showing Lee co-owned BBK and LKE investment banks, which were later caught for stock manipulation.

Lee denied the accusation, saying he had terminated his ownership before the breakout of the fraud. The “BBK scandal” was one of the most controversial issues questioning Lee’s morality. A local court and a special prosecutor appointed by the National Assembly cleared Lee of charges before he took office in February 2008.

Currently, Kim Kyung-joon, Lee’s former business partner and the core culprit behind the financial fraud, has been imprisoned. Kim also alleged that Lee took a major role in his scam.

Chung, who served at the National Assembly from 2004 to 2008, shot to overnight stardom when he sat on the panel of “Naneun Ggomsuda, (I am a slacker),” this May. The podcast program reveals the alleged shoddy aspects of the Lee Myung-bak administration. Favored by people frustrated with the administration, the program is one of the most frequently downloaded political shows on iTunes.

On Thursday, hundreds of his fans waited for the ruling outside the Supreme Court. They said they will struggle for his pardon and reinstatement. 

“This ruling is monumental because it shows the court still being influenced by the administration,” said Kim Eo-jun, co-host of the podcast program.

On Thursday, the top court also convicted Rep. Kang Ki-gap, leader of the minor opposition Unified Progressive Party, for interfering in the execution of parliamentary officials’ duties.

Justice Lee Sang-hoon confirmed a lower court’s ruling of a 3 million won ($2,600) fine for grabbing a parliamentary guard by the collar and destroying property of the National Assembly at its secretary-general’s office in 2009 while Kang was protesting against the passage of the Media Law revision.

He opposed the bill that allowed newspaper companies to run broadcasting networks and gained a moniker of “yogic flier” for jumping up on a table.

But Kang will be able to maintain his seat in the parliament since he did not violate the Election Law, which strips violators of elected seats if they get a more than 1 million won fine or a more severe penalty.

The top court also upheld an appellate court’s decision to slap a 3 million won fine against social critic Chin Jung-kwon for defaming another critic, Byun Hee-jae, by calling him, “No one knows who he is.”

In 2009, he wrote on an online bulletin: “Why is the conservative newspaper Chosun Ilbo so keen on this ‘no one knows who he is’?” He also degraded Byun for making sloppy business decisions and used other aggressive expressions.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)