The court maintains an 18-month suspended term for ex-President Yoon, putting the People Power Party at risk of returning US$28.6 million (39.7 billion won) in campaign funds.
The Seoul High Court on Wednesday upheld former President Yoon Suk Yeol's conviction for making false statements during his 2022 presidential campaign, maintaining a lower court's sentence of 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, according to Yonhap and The Korea Herald.
If the conviction becomes final, Yoon's election will be nullified and the People Power Party (PPP) will have to return the US$28.6 million (39.7 billion won) it was reimbursed in campaign expenses, Yonhap reported. Yonhap converted the sum to $29.6 million; The Korea Herald gave $29.7 million in one report and $27 million in another. The Korea Herald's main report said the party would also have to return a refunded election deposit to the National Election Commission.
The Korea Herald reported the court upheld the conviction on both counts: falsely denying that he introduced a lawyer to Yoon Woo-jin, former chief of the Yongsan Tax Office, and making false statements about his relationship with shaman Jeon Seong-bae, including whether he and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, had met Jeon together. The court found the statements contradicted facts Yoon clearly knew and said voters' right to make an informed choice was infringed.
Yoon's lawyers said they would appeal to the Supreme Court, calling the ruling "unjust in many respects," per The Korea Herald. Yonhap said parties must return reimbursed funds if the candidate receives a finalized prison sentence or a fine of more than US$720 (1 million won); another Yonhap report and The Korea Herald put the fine threshold at at least US$720 (1 million won).
The Democratic Party of Korea welcomed the ruling and urged the PPP to return the funds. PPP floor leader Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig called it "just an appellate ruling," The Korea Herald reported.
