Ousted South Korean President Yoon Receives Suspended Sentence

WHO:

AP News - Ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was convicted.

AP News - Yoon's political party is the People Power Party.

AP News - Current liberal President is Lee Jae Myung.

AP News - Yoon's wife is Kim Keon Hee.

WHAT:

AP News - Yoon was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years.

AP News - The court ruled that Yoon made false statements during his presidential campaign.

AP News - The ruling could force the People Power Party to return around 40 billion won ($27 million) in election expenses.

AP News - Yoon was removed from office in April 2025.

AP News - Yoon has been convicted in multiple ongoing criminal trials, including a life sentence for rebellion.

WHERE:

AP News - The ruling was made by the Seoul Central District Court.

AP News - The political crisis occurred in South Korea.

WHEN:

AP News - Yoon's martial law declaration occurred on December 3, 2024.

AP News - Yoon was sentenced to life in prison in February for rebellion.

AP News - The Supreme Court upheld a seven-year prison sentence against Yoon earlier this month.

WHY:

AP News - Yoon was convicted for making false statements that may have affected voters’ “fair judgment” of the candidates.

AP News - The charges stemmed from Yoon's downplaying of his relationship with a fortune teller and denying introducing a defense attorney to a former tax official.

HOW:

AP News - Yoon's lawyers argued that the verdict was based on a misinterpretation of the facts and election law.

AP News - The government reimburses election expenses for candidates who receive more than 15% of the votes, which must be returned if convicted of an election law violation.

(UPDATED July 28, 2026 01:31 UTC)

Ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been convicted by the Seoul Central District Court and sentenced to 18 months in prison, although this sentence is suspended for three years. The court found that Yoon made false statements during his presidential campaign, which could lead to his political party, the People Power Party, having to return around 40 billion won, or about $27 million, in election expenses. Yoon's legal troubles include multiple convictions, such as a life sentence for rebellion, stemming from his attempts to downplay his connections with a fortune teller and other election-related violations.