Seoul appeals court upholds ex-president Yoon’s conviction — The Hindu

An appeals court in Seoul, South Korea, has upheld the sentence handed down to former president Yoon Suk Yeol — 18 months of suspended imprisonment — in a case concerning the dissemination of false information during the election campaign. As The Hindu reports, the decision was issued on November 4, 2026.

Court upholds conviction

The court upheld the lower court’s finding that Yoon violated election law by making false statements during the campaign. In particular, the case concerns false information about his ties to a shaman.

During the televised announcement of the ruling at the Seoul High Court, the presiding judge said that the defendant should have provided voters with accurate information to make a decision, but instead spread disinformation. The judge also noted that from the investigation stage through the trial, Yoon consistently resorted to excuses.

Yoon Suk Yeol showed no emotion when the court announced the dismissal of his appeal. His lawyers called the decision unfair, said that the court had not sufficiently taken the context into account, and announced their intention to appeal to the Supreme Court.

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Possible consequences for the party

If South Korea’s Supreme Court leaves the conviction in force, the People Power Party, Yoon’s former party, may be forced to return 39.7 billion won, or about $29.6 million, to the National Election Commission. According to the election commission, this amount represents approximately one-third of the party’s assets.

South Korean law provides for reimbursement of campaign expenses to parties if their candidates receive at least 15% of the vote. At the same time, imprisonment or a fine of 1 million won or more for an election offense results in the annulment of the candidate’s result and an obligation for the party to return the funds. The decision could also lead to the annulment of Yoon’s victory in the 2022 presidential election.

In December 2024, Yoon declared martial law and ordered the military to close parliament, but lawmakers voted to repeal the decree despite the military’s actions. He was subsequently impeached and removed from office; later, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for insurrection.