A Seoul court on Monday found former President Yoon Suk Yeol guilty of violating South Korea’s election law over alleged false statements made during his 2022 presidential campaign. The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoon to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years. The conviction is tied to allegations that Yoon made inaccurate claims as the People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate, including statements made in connection with campaign events and interviews in late 2021 and early 2022. Prosecutors had sought a two-year prison term. The case stems from charges brought by special counsel Min Joong-ki, who indicted Yoon in December 2025.
Under South Korea’s Public Official Election Act, if a candidate’s election is invalidated and the punishment meets the law’s threshold, the political party must return campaign expense reimbursements provided by the National Election Commission. Multiple outlets report the potential repayment amount is 39.7 billion won (about US$27 million). The ruling’s final impact depends on whether the conviction and sentence are upheld through any appeals, including how the election-law consequences are applied.
