Key facts
- An appellate court was set to rule Wednesday on former President Yoon Suk Yeol's trial over free opinion polls.
- Yoon was previously sentenced to two years in prison by a lower court for violating the Political Funds Act.
- He is accused of receiving 58 opinion polls worth about 270 million won (US$202,000) for free.
- His wife, Kim Keon Hee, was acquitted of similar charges.
An appellate court was scheduled to rule Wednesday on charges against former President Yoon Suk Yeol concerning the alleged receipt of free opinion polls prior to the 2022 presidential election. The Seoul High Court was set to deliver its verdict for Yoon, who had previously been sentenced to two years in prison by a lower court for violating the Political Funds Act.
Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team had indicted Yoon, alleging he colluded with his wife to receive 58 opinion polls valued at approximately 270 million won (US$202,000) for free from Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed power broker, between April 2021 and March 2022. The lower court found Yoon guilty on 14 of these occasions, deeming them illegal political donations, while determining that the other 44 instances were not given with the couple's consent.
The special counsel team had initially sought a four-year prison term for Yoon. His wife, Kim Keon Hee, has been acquitted of the same charges in separate trials and awaits a final ruling from the Supreme Court. Yoon is currently involved in multiple criminal trials following his unsuccessful bid for martial law in 2024 and subsequent removal from office.