Special counsel indicts former S. Korean president Yoon over funds law

South Korean special counsel team investigating a case involving former first lady Kim Keon-hee have indicted former president Yoon Suk Yeol and a political operative on charges related to illegal campaign funding.

The special counsel team on Tuesday said Yoon and Kim are suspected of colluding to accept public opinion polling services worth about 270 million won (HK$1.6 million) from a political broker named Myung Tae-kyun between June 2021 and March 2022, Yonhap News Agency and Xinhua reported, citing the prosecutors' announcement. The funds were deemed illegal political donations.

Special counsel team said they will seek court permission to recover the alleged illegal gains obtained through violations of the Political Funds Act.

Yoon appeared before investigators as a suspect on December 20 for questioning by the special probe team. Prosecutors suspect he not only accepted unpaid polling services together with Kim, but also used his political influence in return to help former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun secure her party’s nomination in a by-election for the Changwon Uichang district parliamentary seat.

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