South Korea court sentences ex-president Yoon to two years in illegal polling case

A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to two years in prison on Monday after finding him guilty of illegally receiving opinion polling services worth 270 million won ($179,800) ‌for free from a political broker, ⁠local media said.

The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon violated political ‌funding laws by receiving 14 rounds of ⁠polling from the political broker at no cost and later exercising influence over the nomination of a former lawmaker to repay ‌him, according to the ruling.

Yoon had denied the charges, saying he had not requested the polls or promised ‌anything in return.

The decision differed from earlier court rulings involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee, which had found there was no quid pro quo in connection with the polling services.

Monday's ruling can be appealed.
Yoon, 65, is involved in eight legal cases. He is currently appealing alife sentence handed down in February after a court found him guilty of masterminding an insurrection tied to his short-lived declaration of martial law in 2024.

Other cases include a Supreme ⁠Court ruling last week that finalised a seven-year prison sentence for ⁠obstructing authorities' attempt to arrest him.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)

Comments

Emmanuel Afriyie | 7/13/2026 12:13:10 PM

Thank you, ModernGhana, for bringing this news to the attention of the Ghanaian people and the government. This is what justice and accountability are about, not what the NDC is doing after the NPP has destroyed the nation with massive corruption and state looting. The Ghanaian government must learn something from Asian governments, such as China, South Korea and Japan.