Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Sentenced to Two Years
A Seoul district court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to two years in prison for violating South Korea’s Political Funds Act by receiving free opinion‑polling services worth about 270 million won (≈ $180,000) from political broker Myung Tae‑kyun between April 2021 and March 2022. The court found Yoon used the polls as illegal political contributions and later supported the broker’s preferred parliamentary candidate in return.
The ruling adds to a series of convictions against Yoon, who is already serving a life sentence for an insurrection linked to a brief martial‑law declaration in December 2024 and a seven‑year term upheld by the Supreme Court for obstructing authorities. Yoon’s wife, former first lady Kim Keon Hee, was acquitted of the same polling charges in a separate trial. Yoon’s legal team said they will appeal the new verdict.
Other related proceedings include investigations into evidence‑tampering by former presidential aides and a pending Human Rights Commission proposal to repeal a resolution that had granted Yoon certain defense‑rights during his trials.