Yoon Suk Yeol, the former president of South Korea, and political broker Myung Tae-kyun were sentenced to prison for illegally receiving polling services related to the presidential election.
On July 13, the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 33, led by Judge Lee Jin-kwan, sentenced Yoon to two years in prison and ordered him to pay a fine of approximately 13.96 million won for violating the Political Fund Law. Myung, who was also indicted on the same charges, received a sentence of one year and six months and was taken into custody due to concerns about flight and evidence tampering.
Previously, the special prosecutor's team had sought a four-year prison term and a fine of 137.2 million won for Yoon, and three years for Myung. The court found Yoon guilty of receiving a total of 58 polling services worth over 270 million won from Myung between June 2021 and March 2022, but only confirmed guilt for 14 of those instances.
The court determined that not all internal labor costs and operational expenses incurred by the polling company could be attributed to the defendants' financial gain, valuing the 14 guilty polling instances at 27.9 million won. Consequently, the confiscation amount for Yoon was set at approximately 13.96 million won.
During the trial, Yoon's defense argued that he had never entered into any contract for polling services with Myung and claimed that the materials provided were merely part of information exchange or unilateral business activities by Myung. They also asserted that the charges were redundant with other cases, but the court dismissed these arguments.
The court also found Yoon guilty of promising Myung the nomination of former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun in exchange for the polling services and exerting influence over party nominations through Jang Je-won, who was then the president-elect's chief of staff.
The ruling stated, "First Lady Kim Keon-hee effectively delegated the timing, content, and method of the polling to Myung, and Yoon implicitly agreed to this arrangement. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that there was a sequential and implicit consensus between Yoon, his wife, and Myung regarding the provision of polling services."
The court added, "Considering the circumstances under which the polling was received and its political implications, the defendants' actions severely undermined public trust in democratic institutions and fostered political distrust. Despite this, Yoon maintained a defiant attitude in court, insisting on the absence of evidence, which necessitated a punishment commensurate with his wrongdoing."
Immediately following the ruling, Yoon's legal team expressed their intention to appeal, stating in a press release, "This verdict raises significant legal issues concerning the principles of criminal law and the standards of proof, and we express our deep regret. We will make every legal effort to ensure a fair judgment based on law and evidence in the appellate court."
In contrast, the special prosecutor's team welcomed the ruling. A spokesperson stated, "This verdict aligns with the public's sense of justice, and we appreciate the court's careful consideration of the various claims and evidence presented in this case."
With the court's guilty verdict on most charges, the Supreme Court, which is currently reviewing the appeal of First Lady Kim Keon-hee on similar charges, faces increased scrutiny. Kim had previously been acquitted in lower courts, but the recent ruling by Judge Lee Jin-kwan creates a conflict regarding the recognition of criminal liability.
The earlier trial courts had determined that Myung provided polling services not only to Yoon and his wife but also to others, concluding that the couple did not gain financial benefits equivalent to the cost of the polling services, thus dismissing the charges.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.