Yoon Suk Yeol Gets Two-Year Jail Term Over Illegal Opinion Polls and Nomination Scandal

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has received another prison sentence after a Seoul court found him guilty of violating the country's Political Funds Act in a case centred on free opinion polling services allegedly provided during his 2021-22 presidential campaign.

The latest ruling adds to a series of convictions against Yoon, who has been facing multiple criminal trials since his controversial attempt to impose martial law in 2024.

What did the court rule?

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoon to two years in prison after concluding that he had unlawfully received free opinion polling services valued at 270 million won (approximately USD 180,100) from political broker Myung Tae-kyun.

According to Yonhap, prosecutors argued that Yoon received 14 customised opinion polls during his presidential campaign without payment, violating South Korea's Political Funds Act.

Presiding Judge Lee Jin-gwan said free polls "directly impact the fairness of elections."

The court also ordered the forfeiture of 13.96 million won as part of its ruling.

What is the opinion polls controversy?

Prosecutors alleged that the polling services were not provided without expectation of return.

According to the prosecution, Yoon used his political influence to help Myung Tae-kyun's associate, former lawmaker Kim Young-sun, obtain the conservative People Power Party's nomination for the June 2022 parliamentary by-elections.

The court accepted the special counsel team's argument that Yoon had promised to support Kim Young-sun's nomination in exchange for the polling services.

This alleged quid pro quo formed the basis of the Political Funds Act violation.

Who else has been convicted?

Political broker Myung Tae-kyun was also found guilty in the same case.

He was sentenced to one year and six months in prison and was taken into custody immediately after the verdict.

The special counsel team had originally sought a four-year prison sentence for Yoon and a three-year prison term for Myung.

How does this relate to Yoon's wife?

The latest verdict differs from an earlier ruling involving Yoon's wife in a separate but related case.

According to Yonhap, an appellate court had acquitted her of charges related to accepting free opinion polls from Myung Tae-kyun.

In that April judgment, the Seoul High Court ruled that the couple could not be considered beneficiaries of the polling services because Myung had also supplied similar surveys to other individuals.

That acquittal has since been appealed by the prosecution.

Why is this conviction significant?

The latest judgment further compounds Yoon's growing legal troubles.

It comes just days after another conviction in which he received a finalised seven-year prison term for obstructing investigators.

He had also previously been sentenced to life imprisonment for insurrection and 30 years in prison for treason over his failed attempt to impose martial law in 2024.

The new two-year sentence is separate from those earlier convictions and reflects the court's findings in the campaign financing and political nomination case.

What happens next?

The latest ruling adds another chapter to one of South Korea's most consequential political and legal sagas in recent years.

While the sentence further strengthens the prosecution's case against the former president, legal proceedings connected to related cases, including the appeal involving Yoon's wife, are still ongoing.

With multiple convictions already on record, Yoon's legal battles remain far from over, even as South Korea continues to grapple with the political fallout from the events surrounding his presidency.

(With inputs from ANI)