By Ijeoma Agbafo
A South Korean court on Monday sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to two years in prison after finding him guilty of violating political funding laws.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled that Yoon illegally received opinion polling services worth 270 million won (about 179,800 U.S. dollars) free of charge from a political broker.
The court held that he later used his influence over the nomination of a former lawmaker as compensation for the services. Yoon denied the allegations, insisting that he neither requested the opinion polls nor promised any political favour in return.
The ruling differed from an earlier decision involving former First Lady Kim Keon Hee, in which the court found no evidence of a quid pro quo linked to the polling services.
The judgment is subject to appeal. Yoon, 65, is currently facing eight legal cases, including an appeal against a life sentence imposed in February after he was convicted of masterminding an insurrection linked to his brief declaration of martial law in 2024.
He is also serving a seven-year prison sentence upheld by the Supreme Court for obstructing authorities’ attempt to arrest him, marking another chapter in the series of legal challenges confronting the former South Korean leader.
