Yoon Suk Yeol has appealed a suspended prison sentence handed down for making false statements.
On July 27, Yoon's legal team submitted an appeal to the Seoul Central District Court, which had ruled on the election law violation case.
In a statement, the defense team expressed their disappointment with the ruling, stating, "We believe there are significant errors in the recognition of facts and application of law," and cited reasons for the appeal including factual misjudgment, legal misunderstanding, and inappropriate sentencing.
They also expressed concern that the ruling could impose a serious disadvantage on the People Power Party, which may have to return election-related costs amounting to 40 billion won (approximately $30 million).
Yoon was indicted for allegedly making false statements during a discussion at the Kwanhun Club in December 2021, where he claimed he had not introduced lawyer Lee Nam-seok to former Yongsan Tax Office chief Yoon Woo-jin.
Additionally, he faces charges for statements made during an interview at the launch of the Buddhist Leaders Forum in January 2022, where he claimed he had been introduced to Jeong Jin-bok by party officials and had never met him alongside Kim Gun-hee.
The court found all charges brought by Special Prosecutor Kim Min-kyu to be guilty, sentencing Yoon to 1 year and 6 months in prison, suspended for 3 years.
The court explained that the ruling was based on the need to protect voters' ability to make informed decisions during the presidential election process, emphasizing the impact of false statements made by a leading candidate in a public forum.
If the ruling is upheld by the Supreme Court, the People Power Party will be required to return approximately 39.7 billion won in election costs and related expenses.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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