South Korea's ousted President Yoon convicted of lying during campaign

Key Points:

• Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was convicted of making false statements during his 2022 presidential campaign, with the Seoul Central District Court sentencing him to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years.
• The conviction, if upheld by higher courts, could force Yoon's conservative People Power Party to return approximately 40 billion won ($27 million) in government-reimbursed election expenses, potentially crippling the party financially.
• The court found Yoon lied about his relationship with a fortune teller linked to the Unification Church and denied introducing a defense attorney to a tax official under bribery investigation during his time as a prosecutor.
• Yoon faces seven ongoing criminal trials, including a life sentence for rebellion related to his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024, which led to his removal from office in April 2025.
• The Supreme Court recently upheld a seven-year prison sentence against Yoon for bypassing proper Cabinet procedures before declaring martial law and resisting arrest, marking the first of his cases to be finalized by the highest court.