The appellate sentencing hearing for former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was indicted on charges of publicizing false information during his candidacy for the 20th presidential election, will be held on the 29th.

This morning, Criminal Division 2-1 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judge Baek Seung-yeop) will hold the appellate sentencing hearing for former President Yoon's charges of violating the Public Official Election Act. The sentencing hearing is scheduled to include the special prosecutor's sentencing recommendation and former President Yoon's final statement.

Former President Yoon was sentenced in the first trial to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 3-year suspension, which corresponds to a sentence invalidating his election (a fine of 1 million won or more for violating the Public Official Election Act).

Under the Public Official Election Act, if a candidate who recorded a vote share of 15% or more receives a final sentence of a fine of 1 million won or more for an election crime, the National Election Commission must reclaim the election expenses subsidized to them.

Accordingly, if former President Yoon's first-instance sentence is finalized in the second trial and the Supreme Court, the People Power Party will have to return 39.7 billion won in election expenses (including a 300 million won deposit) subsidized by the National Election Commission during the presidential election.

Former President Yoon is suspected of publicizing false information while campaigning as the People Power Party candidate in the 20th presidential election. First, there is a charge of publicizing false information by stating to reporters in January 2022 that he had never met Jeon Seong-bae, the so-called "Geonjin Beopsa," despite having met him several times at a Buddhist shrine and his home since 2013.

In addition, there is a charge of stating to the effect that he had never introduced Lee Nam-seok, an attorney formerly with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Central Investigation Department, to former Yongsan Tax Office chief Yoon Woo-jin—who was under police investigation for bribery suspicions—when asked at a Kwanhun Club debate in late 2021. While serving as a prosecutor, former President Yoon had told Attorney Lee to "meet former Chief Yoon and listen to what he has to say."

The first-instance trial court found all the charges brought by the special prosecutor guilty. At the time, the court ruled, "The crime in this case was an influential candidate publicizing false information to his own advantage in the process of electing the highest public official, the presidential election."

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