Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Faces 18 Months in Prison

A South Korean court has handed down a guilty verdict to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, sentencing him to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years. The court’s decision was made in response to Yoon’s false statements during his successful 2022 presidential campaign.

According to the Seoul Central District Court, Yoon made false statements about his relationship with Jeon Seong-bae, a shaman also known as Geonjin. The court also found Yoon guilty of making false claims about introducing a lawyer to former tax official Yoon Woo-jin.

The court emphasized the significance of a candidate making false statements during a presidential campaign, stating that it has a ‘significant impact on the election.’ Yoon’s attorneys argued that the court misunderstood the facts and relevant law, and only accepted the special counsel’s arguments. They plan to appeal the ruling.

If the ruling is upheld by the Supreme Court, the main opposition People Power Party could be required to return approximately 39.7 billion won (approximately $27.1 million) in campaign expenses reimbursed by the government following Yoon’s election. This would be the largest repayment of election expenses by a political party in South Korean history.

Yoon was charged over comments he made while running for president. During an interview at the launch of a Buddhist leaders’ forum on January 17, 2022, Yoon stated that a party official had introduced him to Jeon and that he and his wife, former first lady Kim Keon Hee, had never met Jeon together. Prosecutors argued that Yoon had repeatedly received advice from Jeon and falsely portrayed their relationship as a chance introduction during the campaign.

Yoon was also charged over remarks at a Kwanhun Club debate on December 14, 2021. He denied introducing a former senior prosecution official as an attorney for Yoon Woo-jin, a former district tax office chief who had faced a bribery investigation. The court stated that Yoon’s statement contradicted the nature of his relationship with the former tax official.

Under South Korean election law, candidates who receive at least 15% of the vote can receive full government reimbursement of eligible campaign expenses. Candidates who receive between 10% and 15% can recover half of their expenses. A political party must return reimbursed campaign expenses and the candidate’s deposit if its presidential nominee receives a final conviction carrying a fine of at least 1 million won (approximately $680) for an election-law offense.

The ruling adds to Yoon’s mounting legal problems following his removal from office over his brief declaration of martial law in December 2024. The Supreme Court this month upheld a seven-year prison sentence against Yoon for offenses that included obstructing authorities attempting to detain him and violating legal procedures surrounding the martial law declaration.

Yoon was separately sentenced to life imprisonment in February after a lower court convicted him of leading an insurrection through the martial law declaration. His appeal is pending before the Seoul High Court. In June, a lower court sentenced him to 30 years in prison for ordering military drone flights into North Korea in an alleged attempt to escalate tensions and create a justification for martial law. Yoon has appealed that ruling.