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Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, Seoul, on June 26 for a hearing related to charges of obstruction of special public officials’ duties. (Photo: Yonhap News Agency) |
[Alpha Biz= Ellie Kim] Prosecutors have sought a two-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act by allegedly making false statements during the 2022 presidential campaign.
At a hearing held on June 8 at the Seoul Central District Court, the special prosecution team argued that Yoon “continued to mislead both the public and the court,” calling for strict legal punishment. The court is scheduled to deliver its verdict on July 27.
Prosecutors emphasized the seriousness of the case, noting that Yoon won the election by a margin of just 0.73 percentage points—the narrowest in South Korean history—arguing that false statements could have materially influenced voters and the election outcome.
Yoon is accused of falsely stating during a January 2022 interview that he had not met a controversial religious figure together with his wife, despite having been introduced to him. He also allegedly denied introducing a lawyer to a former tax official during a separate public forum.
In his final statement, Yoon argued that while candidates have a duty to inform voters truthfully, determining what constitutes false statements should involve careful and strict consideration of context.
Yoon’s legal team warned that if he receives a final sentence of a fine exceeding 1 million won, the People Power Party could be required to return approximately 40 billion won in election subsidies to the National Election Commission, potentially affecting the party’s financial standing and political operations.
Alphabiz Ellie Kim 인턴기자(press@alphabiz.co.kr)
