(2nd LD) Ex-President Yoon's election law conviction upheld; PPP at risk of returning US$30 mln in campaign funds

The Korea Times reports that an appellate court has upheld former President Yoon Suk Yeol's conviction for making false statements during his 2022 presidential campaign. If finalized, this ruling will require the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) to repay 39.7 billion won ($30 million) in campaign reimbursements. The Seoul High Court upheld a lower court’s sentence of 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, over Yoon's statements made before his election in March 2022.

The decision leaves the PPP facing a substantial financial liability, although the repayment obligation depends on the conviction becoming final at the Supreme Court. Under the election law, the government fully reimburses campaign expenses for political parties whose presidential candidates receive at least 15 percent of the vote.

However, the funds must be returned if a candidate receives a final prison sentence or a fine of at least 1 million won for election law violations, which invalidates the candidate’s election.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.