SEOUL — The Seoul Central District Court convicted former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol of making false statements during his presidential campaign on July 27, 2026. The court sentenced Suk Yeol to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years.

Suk Yeol listened as the chief judge read the verdict and did not comment after the verdict. The court stated that Yoon's false statements during the campaign may have affected voters' "fair judgment" of the candidates.

Suk Yeol denied the charges and his lawyers argued that the verdict was based on a misinterpretation of the facts and election law. The Public Official Election Act specifies that false information must be 'sufficiently specific to mislead voters’ accurate judgment of the candidate' to constitute a legal violation, which the court applied in its ruling against Suk Yeol.

The ruling addressed two specific incidents from the 2022 campaign cycle. The court ruled that Yoon falsely denied at a December 2021 news conference that he had introduced a defense attorney to a former Seoul tax official under investigation on bribery allegations while serving as a state prosecutor in 2012.

The court also ruled that Yoon lied during a January 2022 interview in which he downplayed his relationship with a fortune teller. The fortune teller was later convicted of acting as an intermediary between Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, and the Unification Church. The Unification Church allegedly bribed Kim Keon Hee in exchange for political favors.

The financial implications of the conviction extend to Yoon's political party. If upheld by higher courts, the ruling could force the People Power Party to return around 40 billion won ($27 million) in election expenses reimbursed by the government.

Under South Korean law, the government reimburses election expenses for candidates who receive more than 15% of the votes. South Korean law requires refunded election funds if a candidate is convicted of an election law violation punishable by a fine of 1 million won ($680) or heavier penalties. According to the Public Official Election Act, a presidential candidate convicted of a crime punishable by a fine of 1 million won or more must have their election expenses reimbursed by the government returned, which could pose a financial crisis for the People Power Party if the ruling is upheld.

Suk Yeol remains in custody and faces seven ongoing criminal trials. His legal troubles expanded significantly following his removal from office in April 2025. Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison for rebellion in February.

The Supreme Court upheld a seven-year prison sentence against Suk Yeol for sidestepping a legitimate Cabinet deliberation before declaring martial law and resisting law enforcement attempts to arrest him. This sentence relates to events beginning on Dec. 3, 2024, when Suk Yeol declared martial law on Dec. 3, 2024.

The martial law declaration lasted only a few hours after lawmakers voted to repeal the measure. Lawmakers broke through a blockade of heavily armed soldiers and police at Seoul’s National Assembly to vote to repeal the martial law measure. Suk Yeol issued a martial law decree in December 2024.

Suk Yeol won the 2022 presidential election against Lee Jae Myung. Lee Jae Myung is the current liberal President of South Korea.

The Seoul Central District Court is district court in Seoul, South Korea, with a history of adjudicating cases involving high-profile political figures. The court has a history of convicting high-profile political figures, including former President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached and convicted in 2017 for corruption and abuse of power.

The court has previously imposed suspended sentences on political figures, such as former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who received a two-year suspended sentence in 2019 for perjury in a corruption investigation. The Seoul Central District Court has historically been involved in high-profile election law cases, including the 2012 conviction of former President Lee Myung-bak for illegal campaign financing.

Legal precedents in election law have shifted in recent years. In 2022, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that Suk Yeol had violated the Public Official Election Act by falsely denying his involvement in introducing a defense attorney to a Seoul tax official under investigation for bribery in 2012. In 2023, the Supreme Court overturned the acquittal of Lee Jaemyung, the liberal candidate in the 2022 presidential election, for election law violations, setting a precedent that could influence the outcome of Suk Yeol’s case.