Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Violating Election Law

In South Korea, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, for violating the election law by making false statements during the 2022 presidential election campaign. The court ruled that Yoon, as the candidate for the People Power Party, made false statements to the public before the presidential election in March 2022.Yoon's lawyers argued that there were many legal errors in the decision and announced that they would appeal the ruling. If the decision becomes final after the appeal process and Yoon is sentenced to at least 1 million won in fines or imprisonment, the People Power Party will have to refund the 39.7 billion won in election expenses paid by the state for Yoon's 2022 campaign.Yoon Suk Yeol had declared martial law on December 3, 2024, citing 'anti-state activities' by the opposition, but later backtracked after the National Assembly lifted the decision. The National Assembly had temporarily removed Yoon from office in a vote on December 14, 2024, and the Constitutional Court had formally ended his term on April 4, 2025.