Seoul:A special counsel team has called on the Seoul High Court to maintain the conviction of former President Yoon Suk Yeol for violating election law. If upheld, this conviction could invalidate his 2022 presidential election and compel his former ruling party to return nearly 40 billion won (approximately US$29.8 million).
According to Yonhap News Agency, Special Counsel Min Joong-ki's team made this appeal during a court hearing, urging the dismissal of Yoon's appeal. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 27.
In July, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoon to a 1.5-year prison term, suspended for three years, after finding him guilty of making false statements as the presidential candidate for the People Power Party (PPP) in the March 2022 election. Yoon was accused of falsely claiming he had never introduced a lawyer to a former tax official and of lying about his connections to shaman Jeon Seong-bae.
The court accepted the special counsel's argument that Yoon had indeed introduced the lawyer and had met Jeon through his wife, Kim Keon Hee. If the appeals court upholds the verdict, Yoon's presidency will be nullified, and the PPP will need to return the campaign expenses reimbursed by the election watchdog.
Under the election law, parties must return campaign funds if their candidate is convicted and fined at least 1 million won for election law violations. Despite the conviction, Yoon continues to assert his innocence, claiming that his past remarks were not false.