Seoul court annuls Yoon's election victory, sentences ex-president to suspended prison term

A Seoul court has annulled former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s election victory, sentencing him to 18 months in prison with a three-year suspended sentence for spreading false information during the 2022 presidential race. The ruling, delivered on July 27, 2026, found Yoon guilty of publishing falsehoods regarding his connections to a shaman and a former tax office chief.

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The defendant flatly denied the relationship with a person he had been on close terms with since 2013 and repeatedly received advice from regarding personal and political matters, painting the relationship as a chance meeting during the election process.

The court specifically addressed Yoon's statements about his relationship with shaman Jeon Seong-bae, noting that Yoon had "flatly denied the relationship with a person he had been on close terms with since 2013." The court found that Yoon had repeatedly received advice from Jeon on personal and political matters, yet portrayed their connection as a chance meeting during the election campaign.

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In light of the fact that the defendant spoke with Yoon Woo-jin over the phone on multiple occasions and built a relationship of trust, and that [the attorney in question] contacted Yoon Woo-jin upon hearing the defendant’s name, it is correct to say that an introduction took place.

Regarding Yoon's claim that he never introduced a certain attorney to former Yongsan Regional Tax Office chief Yoon Woo-jin, the court determined that phone calls and the attorney's subsequent contact using Yoon's name indicated an introduction had indeed taken place. The court deemed Yoon's statements as "publishing of false information" that interfered with the public's ability to make an informed electoral decision.

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The statement in question can be interpreted to mean that the connection to the attorney bore no relation to Yoon Woo-jin, so it amounts to the publishing of false information.

The court described the nature of Yoon's crimes as "very grave" and "far from light," citing his brazen lies to the press and denial of objective evidence. The verdict, if upheld by the Supreme Court, could also force Yoon's party to repay nearly $27 million in government-reimbursed campaign funds.

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very grave