The first-ruling verdict on former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was indicted on charges of receiving free opinion polls from political broker Myung Tae-kyun, will be delivered this week. A Supreme Court ruling is also scheduled on former first lady Kim Keon-hee, who was sentenced to four years in prison at the appellate level on charges including Deutsch Motors stock manipulation and receiving money and valuables from the Unification Church.
According to the legal community on the 12th, the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 33 (Presiding Judge Lee Jin-kwan) will rule on the 13th on the case involving Yoon's alleged violation of the Political Funds Act. Yoon was indicted on charges of conspiring with Kim to receive opinion polls worth a combined 270 million won for free from Myung between June 2021 and March 2022. The Kim Keon-hee special counsel team (Special Counsel Min Joong-ki) determined that the couple, in return, exercised influence to help former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun and others secure nominations in the June 1, 2022, by-elections for the National Assembly.
The special counsel sought a four-year prison term for Yoon. In contrast, Yoon's side argued for acquittal, saying that Myung's opinion polls did not constitute political funds and that a quid pro quo relationship with the nominations could not be recognized. Kim, who was also indicted on the same charge of receiving the opinion polls, was acquitted in the first and second trials.
The Supreme Court's Second Division (Justice Park Young-jae presiding) will rule on the 16th on Kim's charges of violating the Capital Markets Act, violating the Political Funds Act, and brokerage-related bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. Kim was indicted on charges of participating in Deutsch Motors stock manipulation to reap illegal gains worth 810 million won and receiving opinion polls worth 270 million won from Myung. She also faces charges of receiving a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel bag after being solicited by the Unification Church.
The first trial found only part of the charge of receiving money and valuables from the Unification Church guilty and sentenced her to one year and eight months in prison. The second trial additionally found part of the charge of participating in Deutsch Motors stock manipulation and the brokerage-related bribery charge involving the Chanel bag guilty, sentencing her to four years in prison and a fine of 50 million won.
On the same day, the Supreme Court's Second Division (Justice Eom Sang-pil presiding) will also rule on the case of People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong, who was indicted on charges of receiving 100 million won from the Unification Church in return for soliciting support for the religious group. The first and second trials sentenced him to two years in prison and a forfeiture of 100 million won. If the sentence is finalized, Kwon will lose his parliamentary seat.
