A local court on Thursday delivered a prison term to an incumbent provincial governor on charges of taking bribes from a deceased businessman.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Hong Joon-pyo, 61, to 18 months in prison for receiving 100 million won ($91,300) from Sung Wan-jong, the late chairman of a local construction firm in 2011, and ordered him to forfeit the money.

"The briber's testimony is credible, as he has been testifying consistently from the investigation to the court hearing," the court said.

The court, however, decided not to put Hong under arrest immediately, citing his current status as an incumbent governor of South Gyeongsang Province. Hong said he will appeal the ruling.
A close aide of Sung who conducted the transaction was also sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for a year.

The 61-year-old was indicted in July last year as part of the prosecution's investigation into a suspected "bribery list" left behind by Sung, who committed suicide in April 2015.

The list had a total of eight names, including Hong and the former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo.

Lee's case is pending at an appeals court, after the Seoul district court handed down an eight-month prison term, suspended for two years, for similar allegations. The sentencing trial is slated for Sept. 22. (Yonhap)