Seoul court sentences ex-president Yoon to 2 years’ jail over political funding

A South Korean court sentenced former president Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday to two years in prison for illegally receiving free opinion polls in exchange for political support, adding to his growing legal woes.

Yoon, 65, is already in detention while appealing against a separate life sentence for leading an insurrection through his declaration of martial law in 2024.

In a separate case, a court handed Yoon a 30-year prison sentence for sending drones into North Korea to “manufacture” a crisis ahead of his martial law bid.

Monday’s ruling was unrelated to the martial law decree.

It concerned allegations that he received free opinion polls between 2021 and 2022 in exchange for supporting a candidate seeking his party’s nomination in a parliamentary by-election.

“The court today found him guilty of violating the Political Funds Act and sentenced him to two years,” a representative of the Seoul Central District Court said.