A South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to two years in prison after finding him guilty of violating the country’s political funds law, according to local media reports cited by Reuters.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled on Monday that Yoon illegally received public opinion polling services worth 270 million won (about $180,000) from a political broker without payment.
According to the court, Yoon accepted the polling services on 14 occasions and later used his political influence to support the nomination of a former lawmaker in exchange for the assistance. The court concluded that the arrangement violated campaign finance regulations.
Yoon, 65, has denied all allegations, maintaining that he neither requested the polling services nor promised political favors in return. His legal team is expected to appeal the verdict.
The ruling differs from an earlier court decision in a separate case involving former First Lady Kim Keon Hee, in which judges found no evidence of a quid pro quo linked to the same polling services.
The latest conviction adds to a series of legal challenges facing the former president. Yoon is currently involved in multiple criminal cases. Earlier this year, he received a life sentence after being convicted over his alleged role in imposing a short-lived period of martial law in December 2024, a ruling that is also under appeal.
In a separate case, South Korea’s Supreme Court recently upheld a seven-year prison sentence against Yoon for obstructing law enforcement officers during an attempt to execute an arrest warrant.
The convictions are subject to the country’s appeals process, and the legal proceedings remain ongoing.
