SEOUL, July 27 — A South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, after finding him guilty of violating the election law by making false statements during his 2022 presidential campaign.
The sentence, if upheld through appeals, could force his People Power Party to return ₩39.7 billion (RM110.4 million) in election expenses reimbursed by the National Election Commission following his presidential election victory.
The Seoul Central District Court found that Yoon made false statements during the 2022 presidential campaign when he denied introducing a lawyer to a former tax official and claimed he and his wife, former first lady Kim Keon Hee, had not met shaman Jeon Seong-bae. Both relationships had come under scrutiny during the election campaign.
The court accepted prosecutors' arguments that he had introduced the lawyer to the former official and maintained a long-standing relationship with Jeon after first meeting him through Kim.
"When a candidate personally announces false information at public events with a large impact, such as debates and interviews, the effect on voters' decision-making is very significant," the court said in its ruling today.
Prosecutors had sought a two-year prison term, arguing that Yoon's remarks helped ease scrutiny of the allegations during the presidential race.
In a statement, his legal counsel said that Yoon, who had denied any wrongdoing, plans to appeal the verdict.
Under South Korea's election law, political parties receive state reimbursement for campaign expenses if their presidential candidate wins or secures at least 15 per cent of the vote. If a candidate later receives a final election-invalidating sentence, such as a jail term or a fine of at least ₩1 million (RM2,781.14), the party must return the funds.
Yoon is also facing other criminal trials, including an insurrection case related to his December 2024 martial law declaration. In February, a lower court sentenced him to life imprisonment over the case.
