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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Court finds former President Yoon guilty in political funding case, contradicting first lady's acquittal

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A South Korean court ruled former President Yoon Suk-yeol and an associate guilty of violating political funding laws related to free opinion polls during the 2021 presidential primary.
  • The ruling contrasts with a previous acquittal for first lady Kim Keon-hee on similar charges, with the court deeming the poll provision a

A South Korean court has found former President Yoon Suk-yeol and an associate, Myung Tae-gyun, guilty of violating political funding laws. The charges stem from the free provision of opinion poll results during the 2021 presidential primary campaign.

Yoon needed the opinion poll results to lead the presidential primary favorably.

— CourtExplaining the motive behind the free provision of opinion polls.

The Seoul Central District Court specified the illegal provision of poll data occurred between June 26 and October 21, 2021, totaling 14 instances. This period concluded just before the final presidential primary of the People Power Party, strongly indicating the polls were intended to help Yoon secure his nomination.

"Yoon needed the opinion poll results to lead the presidential primary favorably," the court stated, noting that first lady Kim Keon-hee met Myung shortly after Yoon resigned from public office and lacked a political base. The court cited Myung's message to Kim, vowing to "make him president by any means necessary," and Myung's adjustment of survey methods to favor Yoon as evidence of a "secret agreement" between the couple and Myung.

Myung Tae-gyun, through his efforts, will make him president.

— Myung Tae-gyunA message sent to Kim Keon-hee, cited by the court as evidence of an agreement.

This ruling directly contradicts the acquittal of first lady Kim Keon-hee on similar charges. Her trial court had characterized the poll provision as Myung's "unilateral business activity," not recognizing that the benefit accrued exclusively to the Yoon couple. The current court, however, viewed the actions as a "conspiracy" by Yoon, Kim, and Myung to win the primary.

The fact that the free provision was by agreement is not negated just because promotional effects occurred.

— CourtAddressing the argument that promotional effects meant the provision was not agreed upon.

Regarding allegations that Yoon helped former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun secure nomination in exchange for the free polls, the court found that "Yoon's influence appears to have been exercised." The Supreme Court is scheduled to rule on Kim Keon-hee's case on the 16th.

Yoon's influence appears to have been exercised.

— CourtRegarding allegations of Yoon helping a lawmaker secure nomination.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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