Key facts
- Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was convicted of election law violations by a Seoul district court.
- Yoon received an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for three years.
- The conviction is based on false statements made during the 2022 presidential election campaign.
- The People Power Party may have to return approximately 40 billion won in reimbursed campaign expenses if the conviction is upheld.
- Yoon's legal team plans to appeal the court's decision.
A Seoul district court has convicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges related to election law violations, a ruling that could force the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) to return approximately 40 billion won (US$27.3 million) in reimbursed campaign expenses from the 2022 presidential election.
The court sentenced Yoon to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, finding him guilty of making false statements during his presidential campaign. Specifically, the court accepted arguments that Yoon had falsely claimed he had never introduced a lawyer to a former tax official and had lied about meeting a shaman named Jeon Seong-bae.
Yoon's legal team has announced their intention to appeal the verdict, citing multiple errors in the ruling. If the conviction is finalized through appeals with a fine of at least 1 million won or a jail term, the PPP will be obligated to repay the campaign funds received from the election watchdog following Yoon's 2022 victory.
The special counsel's team had sought a two-year prison sentence for Yoon, arguing that the nature of the offense was grave due to the dissemination of false information on matters of significant public interest.