A South Korean court sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to two years in prison for illegally receiving free opinion polling services from political broker Myung Tae-kyun, officials announced July 13, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon guilty of violating political funding laws by obtaining approximately 270 million won (around US$180,000) worth of polling over 14 rounds between April 2021 and March 2022 without payment [1, 3, 5]. The court said Yoon also exerted influence to nominate a parliamentary candidate to repay the broker, which was a key factor in the guilty ruling [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. A representative of the court stated, "The court today found him guilty of violating the political funds act and sentenced him to two years." The court added, "Yoon’s conduct significantly intensified public distrust in politics and undermined the people’s expectations for the sound development of democratic governance. The defendant’s culpability is therefore exceptionally serious" [4].
Yoon has denied the charges, maintaining he did not request the polls or promise any favors in return. His lawyers contend the verdict is "based solely on inference" and said they will appeal the ruling [1, 2, 3, 4]. Monday’s sentence can be appealed [1, 2, 3].
Political broker Myung Tae-kyun was also convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison in the same case [4].
The court ruling in Yoon’s case differs from previous decisions involving his wife, former first lady Kim Keon Hee, who was acquitted in related polling cases pending Supreme Court review. She is currently serving multiple prison sentences for bribery and graft unrelated to the polling services matter [1, 2, 3, 4].
Yoon faces at least eight legal cases. He is currently detained serving a 30-year sentence for sending drones into North Korea in June 2025 and is appealing a life sentence from February 2026 for masterminding an insurrection tied to his failed martial law declaration in December 2024 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The December 2024 martial law order led to his impeachment and removal from office amid a political crisis [4, 5]. A week before the July 13 ruling, the Supreme Court finalized a seven-year prison sentence for Yoon for obstructing authorities’ arrest efforts [1, 2, 3].
