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SEOUL, July 27 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court convicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol of election law violations Monday, putting the main opposition party at risk of returning nearly 40 billion won (US$27.3 million) that was reimbursed in campaign expenses for the 2022 presidential election.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoon to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, after finding him guilty of making false statements as the People Power Party (PPP)'s presidential candidate ahead of the election in March 2022.

If the verdict is finalized through appeals, the PPP will be forced to return the 39.7 billion won it was reimbursed in campaign expenses by the election watchdog after Yoon's victory in the 2022 election.

Under the election law, political parties are reimbursed for campaign expenses if their presidential candidate receives at least 15 percent of the vote. They must, however, return the funds if the candidates receive a finalized fine of at least 1 million won or a prison term for election law violations.

Yoon's lawyers said they would appeal, claiming multiple errors in the ruling.

Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team earlier indicted Yoon on suspicion of falsely claiming during a December 2021 press event that he had never introduced a lawyer to a former tax official.

Yoon was also charged for lying in a January 2022 interview when he said a party official had introduced him to shaman Jeon Seong-bae and denied meeting Jeon together with his wife, Kim Keon Hee.

The court found Yoon guilty on both charges, accepting the special counsel's argument that Yoon had in fact introduced the lawyer to the former tax official and had met Jeon through his wife's introduction.

"The nature of the offense is very grave as false information was publicized on a matter that drew great voter interest," the court said.

Min's team had requested a two-year prison term for Yoon.

If the case reaches the top court, a finalized ruling is expected to be made in January next year.

Under a special counsel law, cases covered by Min's team must conclude within six months during the first-instance trial, and within three months each at an appellate court and the Supreme Court.

It marked the latest conviction for the jailed former president, who has been standing multiple trials following his failed martial law bid in December 2024.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment in February for leading an insurrection through his failed bid in the case's first-instance trial. He has appealed that ruling.

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr

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