The first-instance verdict for Yoon Suk Yeol, charged with disseminating false information during his presidential campaign, is set to be announced today. If he is convicted of a fine exceeding 1 million won, the People Power Party will be required to return approximately 397 billion won in election funds received during the campaign, drawing significant attention from the legal and political communities.
The Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 21, presided over by Judge Jo Soon-pyo, will hold the verdict hearing at 2 p.m. The court has accepted requests from media outlets for live coverage, meaning the verdict will be broadcast in real-time on television and online.
Yoon is accused of stating during a December 2021 discussion at the Kwanhun Club that he had never introduced a lawyer to Yoon Woo-jin, the former head of the Yongsan Tax Office, and claiming in January 2022 that he had been introduced to Jeon Seong-bae by party officials and had never met Kim Geon-hee. He was indicted last December.
The special prosecutor's team, led by Min Jung-ki, has investigated these allegations and concluded that Yoon did indeed introduce a lawyer to Yoon and had maintained a relationship with Jeon for over ten years after being introduced by Kim.
During the closing arguments last month, the special prosecutor's team argued that Yoon's dissemination of false information gave him an advantage in the election, seeking a two-year prison sentence. In contrast, Yoon's defense team contended that he merely answered questions based on his memory and did not intentionally spread falsehoods.
Under the Public Election Act, if Yoon is convicted of a fine exceeding 1 million won, the People Power Party will have to return the 397 billion won in election funds received from the National Election Commission.
As of February, the People Power Party's total assets were reported to exceed approximately 130 billion won, and returning 397 billion won would significantly impact the party's finances, potentially affecting its future viability.
Meanwhile, the appeals trial for Yoon and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who are charged with sending drones to Pyongyang to build a justification for the December 3 coup, will begin on the 29th. The Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 1, led by Judge Yoon Seong-sik, will hold the first hearing in the morning. However, the trial will be conducted behind closed doors to protect military secrets. The first-instance court had previously sentenced Yoon and Kim to 30 years in prison each.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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