Will the People Power Party have to return 39.7 billion won in election funds? Yoon Suk-yeol's 'false statement' first-instance ruling tomorrow

A pivotal court ruling looms for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, with the first-instance verdict on charges of making false statements during his 2022 presidential campaign scheduled for January 27. The outcome carries significant financial implications for the ruling People Power Party, which may have to refund 39.7 billion won in election expenses if Yoon receives a fine of 1 million won or more that is subsequently finalized.

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I met Mr. Jeon Sung-bae, introduced by a party official, and met him with Ms. Kim Keon-hee.

The case, brought by a special prosecutor's team that investigated allegations surrounding First Lady Kim Keon-hee, will see its sentencing live-streamed from the Seoul Central District Court. If Yoon's presidential election is invalidated by a finalized fine, the party faces the substantial financial penalty. The charge of making false statements carries a standard sentencing range of up to 10 months in prison or a fine of 2 million to 8 million won, though it can be reduced to a fine of less than 1 million won depending on the severity of the offense. The prosecution had previously sought a two-year prison sentence for Yoon.

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We met Mr. Jeon and party officials at the People Power Party election camp in January 2022, but Ms. Kim did not accompany me.

At the heart of the allegations are two key instances. Firstly, Yoon is accused of falsely stating in a January 2022 interview that he had never met Mr. Jeon Sung-bae, known as 'Geonjinbeopsa,' or introduced him to party officials, and had not met him with his wife, Kim Keon-hee. The special prosecutor's team suspects Yoon lied to avoid controversy surrounding alleged shamanistic connections. Yoon's side maintains that while he met Jeon and party officials in January 2022, Kim Keon-hee was not present, asserting his statement was not false.

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I did not introduce lawyer Mr. Lee to former Yongsan Tax Office chief Yoon Woo-jin.

Secondly, Yoon faces charges for allegedly denying in a December 2021 debate that he had introduced a lawyer named Mr. Lee to Yoon Woo-jin, a former head of the Yongsan Tax Office, who was under investigation for bribery in 2012. The prosecution believes Yoon, then a senior prosecutor, intervened in the case by introducing the lawyer, who had ties to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. Yoon's defense argues that he merely asked the lawyer to meet Yoon Woo-jin to hear his side of the story, as it would have been problematic for a current prosecutor to directly introduce a lawyer, and that this request was misconstrued as an introduction. A key piece of evidence presented by the prosecution is a text message from the lawyer stating, 'Senior Yoon sent me.'

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Senior Yoon sent me.