A Seoul district court has sentenced former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to two years in prison for violating the country’s political funding law. According to the court ruling, Yoon accepted public opinion polling services worth about 270 million won (approximately 179,800 US dollars) from a political broker without payment. The court found that he benefited from 14 such polls and later used his political influence to secure a party nomination for a former lawmaker in return. Yoon has consistently denied the allegations, claiming he neither requested the surveys nor made any promises in exchange.

The verdict contrasts with earlier court decisions involving former First Lady Kim Keon-hee, where no evidence of mutual benefit or exchange was found. The court noted that Yoon retains the right to appeal the latest ruling to a higher court.

Yoon, aged 65, is currently facing multiple legal cases. He was previously sentenced to life imprisonment in February for involvement in a 2024 coup-related case and received a separate seven-year sentence for obstructing an arrest attempt, which the Supreme Court recently upheld.