A Seoul court sentenced former President Yoon Suk-yeol to two years in prison after finding him guilty of accepting free political opinion polls from an influential broker in exchange for supporting his party's election candidates, while the former South Korean leader remains serving a life sentence for rebellion after declaring martial law at the end of 2024.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled today (13 Jul) to sentence 65-year-old former President Yoon Suk-yeol to two years in prison and ordered the confiscation of 13.96 million won (approximately 370,000 baht) for violating political fund laws.
The case originated when an independent prosecution team led by Min Jung-ki charged Yoon with conspiring with Kim Keon-hee, the former first lady, to accept 58 free opinion polls worth over 270 million won (about 6.4 million baht) from Myung Taek-yoon, an influential political broker, between April 2021 and March 2022.
However, the court confirmed Yoon's guilt only partially, ruling that he received 14 free polls from Myung in exchange for promising to support former lawmaker Kim Young-sun—backed by Myung—to be nominated as a candidate in the June 2022 legislative by-election for the conservative People Power Party. The court also sentenced Myung Taek-yoon to 18 months in prison for the same case, while prosecutors had originally sought four years for Yoon and three years for Myung.
The court stated in its ruling, "Yoon's conduct significantly diminished public trust in politics and destroyed citizens' expectations for transparent and accountable democratic governance. The defendant’s responsibility as a former leader is therefore considered particularly grave."
This sentencing contrasts with a separate case involving Kim Keon-hee. In April, the Seoul High Court acquitted Kim of charges related to accepting free polls from Myung, ruling that the couple did not receive direct benefits, as Myung distributed the polls to others as well. The independent prosecution team has since appealed Kim's case to the Supreme Court, with a hearing scheduled for the upcoming Thursday.
Meanwhile, Kim Keon-hee is currently serving prison sentences for other offenses: seven years for bribery related to securing employment positions and four years for stock manipulation and bribery.
The two-year sentence for accepting free polls is only part of the legal troubles surrounding Yoon Suk-yeol, who failed in his attempt to declare martial law in December 2024, leading to his impeachment by the National Assembly shortly thereafter.
Yoon is currently detained and facing multiple major legal cases, including charges of rebellion and overthrowing the government. In February, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for leading a rebellion by briefly declaring martial law, a ruling now under appeal.
In another national security case, Yoon was sentenced to 30 years in prison for ordering drones to intrude into North Korean airspace with the intent to "create a crisis situation," prior to his declaration of martial law to maintain his political power.