Ousted South Korean President Jailed 2 Years for Manipulated Opinion Polls

A South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to two years in prison for illegally receiving manipulated opinion polls. The court determined that Yoon accepted free polls from a political broker, Myung Tae-kyun, between June and October 2021. These polls, allegedly based on manipulated data, were provided in exchange for political favors, potentially aiding Yoon's 2022 presidential bid.

The Seoul Central District Court ruled that Yoon violated the nation's political funding law. The political broker, Myung Tae-kyun, received a 1 1/2-year sentence for his role in the scheme. The court stated that Yoon exerted undue influence within his party to fulfill Myung's request for the conservative People Power Party's nomination in the 2022 legislative by-election.

This conviction marks another significant legal challenge for the former conservative president. Yoon faces a total of seven trials. Previously, the country's Supreme Court upheld a seven-year prison sentence against him in another case. His legal team has stated intentions to appeal Monday's ruling, citing insufficient evidence, and has also appealed other convictions, including a life sentence for rebellion charges stemming from a botched power grab in December 2024.

The political crisis in South Korea escalated in December 2024 when Yoon declared martial law, an action that lasted only a few hours before being repealed by lawmakers. He was subsequently impeached by the liberal-led legislature and formally removed by the Constitutional Court. After a period of release, Yoon was re-arrested in July of the previous year and has been undergoing trials while in detention.