The appeal hearing for Yoon Suk Yeol, who was sentenced to disqualification for spreading false information during the 20th presidential election, will conclude this week. If Yoon's sentence is upheld, the People Power Party will be required to return 39.7 billion won in election funds received from the National Election Commission.
According to legal sources, the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 2-1, presided over by judges Baek Seung-yeop, Hwang Seung-tae, and Kim Young-hyun, will hold the appeal hearing for Yoon on October 13. The court had initially planned to conclude the proceedings on September 29, but the testimony of former prosecutor Yoon Dae-jin took longer than expected, leading to a postponement due to conflicting statements and the need for additional evidence.
During the hearing on October 13, additional evidence will be presented, followed by the special prosecutor's final opinion and sentencing recommendation, the defense's closing arguments, and Yoon's final statement, marking the end of the appeal process.
Yoon faces two main charges. The first involves a false statement made during a discussion at the Kwanhun Club on December 14, 2021, when he claimed he had not introduced attorney Lee Nam-seok to his brother, Yoon Jong-kyu, despite having done so while serving as the head of the Central Investigation Department in 2012. The special prosecutor's team believes Yoon made this false claim to avoid a drop in his approval ratings.
The second charge pertains to Yoon's misleading statements regarding his relationship with Jeon Seong-bae, known as 'Geonjin Beopsa.' In a media interview on January 17, 2022, Yoon stated he met Jeon only through party contacts and had never met him with his wife, Kim Gun-hee. However, the special prosecutor's investigation revealed that Yoon had been introduced to Jeon through Kim and had maintained a relationship with him for over ten years.
In the first trial, the court found Yoon guilty on all counts, sentencing him to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years. The special prosecutor's team had sought a two-year sentence. The court noted that Yoon's actions involved disseminating false information during a highly scrutinized election, which significantly aggravated the offense.
The outcome of this trial will have significant implications not only for Yoon's legal fate but also for the People Power Party. Under current election law, a conviction resulting in a fine of over 1 million won for election-related crimes leads to disqualification. If Yoon's disqualification is upheld by the Supreme Court, the People Power Party will face the unprecedented situation of having to return the 39.7 billion won in election funds received during the last presidential election.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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