A South Korean court on Monday sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, after finding him guilty of violating election law by making false statements during his 2022 presidential campaign.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled that Yoon misled voters when he denied introducing a lawyer to a former tax official and claimed that neither he nor former first lady Kim Keon Hee had met shaman Jeon Seong-bae. The court found that both claims were false, saying the statements had the potential to influence voters during the election campaign. Yoon's legal team has announced that he will appeal the ruling.
If the conviction is upheld through the appeals process, Yoon's People Power Party could be required to return 39.7 billion won in campaign reimbursements received after his 2022 election victory. Yoon is also facing separate criminal proceedings, including an insurrection case linked to his declaration of martial law in December 2024, for which he was previously sentenced to life imprisonment by a lower court.
Photo by Reuters
