A local court on Tuesday handed down jail terms to two opposition lawmakers for taking kickbacks from a local vocational training school in return for helping pass a bill in favor of the school.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Reps. Shin Geh-ryeun, 61, and Shin Hak-yong, 63, of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy party to 24 months and 30 months in jail, respectively.

The court also ordered the 61-year-old Shin to pay a fine of 25 million won ($21,000) and forfeit another 25 million won. The 63-year-old was also ordered to pay a fine of 31 million won and forfeit an additional 213 million won.

"The credibility of the statement made by the briber is acknowledgeable," a judge said.

The court, however, did not put the two lawmakers into custody "to guarantee the right to defend themselves on the charges."

Shin Geh-ryeun was indicted in 2014 on charges of taking some 55 million won worth of gift cards and cash in bribes from the chairman of a local vocational training school from September 2013 to May 2014 in return for helping to pass a bill in favor of the school.

The passage of the bill to revise the vocational education law in April helped change the name and upgrade the status of what is now known as Seoul Art College.

Rep. Shin Hak-yong, who chaired the National Assembly's education and culture committee from March 2013 to May 2014, took 15 million won from the chairman of Seoul Art College in exchange for the same business favor.

He was additionally indicted for receiving some 33 million won from an association of private kindergartens in return for proposing a law governing privately run kindergartens, according to prosecutors.

The two will be stripped of their parliamentary seats if the verdict is confirmed by the Supreme Court. (Yonhap)