Ruling Majority in Assembly Vanishes As Supreme Court Ousts a Legislator

The Supreme Court on Friday nullified the election of Representative Chang Young-shin, a Millennium Democrat, for violating campaign regulations during the general election in April of last year.

A second case, that of Representative Won Churll-hee, a United Liberal Democrat, was sent back to the appeals court, saving his hold on the parliamentary seat at least for the time being.

As a result of Friday's decision, the ruling coalition of the Millennium Democratic Party, the United Liberal Democrats and the Democratic People's Party now hold 136 seats in the National Assembly, one less than a majority in the 273-seat chamber.

The opposition Grand National Party holds 132 seats. Since unaffiliated and minor-party lawmakers tend to vote with the opposition, the loss of a single seat looms large.

"Ms. Chang seriously violated the election law by systematically mobilizing the employees of the Aekyung Group which she owns and providing entertainment to voters," the court found. Registering voters not resident in her electoral district reportedly played a decisive role in the court's decision.

She is the second lawmaker to have lost her seat in the National Assembly. Representative Kim Yung-koo of the Grand National Party was the other. By-elections will be held on Oct. 25.

In remanding Mr. Won's case, the judges cited an insufficient review by the appeals court judges. He will keep his seat until the Supreme Court rules again on his case. He was indicted on charges of embezzling some 60 million won ($46,000) while he headed the National Agricultural Cooperatives Federation between 1994 and 1999.

The Millennium Democrats were in a state of stupor Friday. Not only were they shocked by the court's decision, they said none of them had been paying attention to the case. Many of them went to the court to attend the hearing of Mr. Won, a member of the small, conservative party in the ruling coalition.

While Jeon Yong-hak, the ruling party spokesman, said the court's decision should be respected, Ms. Chang's aides complained that she did not get enough chance to defend herself because the defendant in the case was the National Election Commission.

The Grand National Party expressed satisfaction, saying "Justice in this country is alive and well."

by Park Jai-hyun