Pastor Son Hyun-bo of Busan's Segero Church was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for three years, by the Busan High Court on Wednesday, a harsher sentence than the six months in prison, suspended for one year, doled out by the lower court.
Son, a Protestant pastor who is regarded as a conservative figure, has also drawn attention for his contacts with US political figures. He met with US President Donald Trump at the White House in August. He has also met with US State Department officials while his appeal was pending.
Son argued that his sermons and prayers were acts of religious practice. The appellate court found that the remarks amounted to electioneering aimed at helping specific candidates win or lose.
The court agreed with prosecutors that the original sentence was too lenient, citing a high risk of reoffending given Son's prior conviction for violating election law, for which he was fined 800,000 won in 2023.
Son was accused of campaigning for Jeong Seung-yun, a conservative candidate for Busan superintendent of education, ahead of the April 2 rerun election last year.
He interviewed Jeong during a church service and gave a speech at Jeong's campaign office urging voters to reject another candidate.
Ahead of the June 3 presidential election last year, Son again voiced support for conservative candidate Kim Moon-soo during church services and prayer gatherings, while urging congregants not to vote for Lee Jae Myung, who went on to win the election. He also played a video supporting Kim on a large screen in front of attendees.
During a church service, Son also reportedly warned that a "Hitler-like government" could emerge if Lee were elected.
Under Korea's Public Official Election Act, no one may use their official duties within a religious organization to campaign among its members. Violations are punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 6 million won ($4,500).
The court said Son had used his influence as a senior pastor to campaign among hundreds to thousands of congregants. It also noted that some services were livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, posing a considerable risk to electoral fairness.
The court also rejected Son's request to refer the relevant law to the Constitutional Court for constitutional review.
Son was indicted in September last year on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act and the Local Education Autonomy Act. He was released from detention in January following the first-instance ruling.
Meanwhile, Michael Needham, an adviser to the US State Department, and Julie Turner, acting deputy assistant secretary in the department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, had lunch with Son in February at the US ambassador's residence in Seoul, while his appeal was pending.
US Vice President JD Vance also reportedly raised concerns over Son's detention with then-Prime Minister Kim Min-seok during Kim's visit to Washington in January, according to local media.
During his visits to the US in July and August, Son and his supporters argued that his prosecution amounted to political retaliation and was an infringement on religious freedom.
The Korean government is understood to have told US officials that Son's detention and prosecution stemmed from violations of election law, not his religious beliefs or criticism of the government.
forestjs@heraldcorp.com
