[Anchor]

The appellate ruling for former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was indicted on charges of making false statements during his presidential campaign, will be delivered today (Nov. 4). If an appellate court upholds a fine of 1 million won or more—a sentence that would invalidate an election win—and the ruling is finalized, the People Power Party will be required to return all 39.7 billion won in election campaign expenses it was reimbursed during the 20th presidential election.

Reporter Park Yerim has the details.

[Reporter]

In December 2021, while running as the presidential candidate for the People Power Party, former President Yoon Suk-yeol stated during a Kwanhun Club debate that he "never introduced a lawyer to former Yongsan Tax Office chief Yoon Woo-jin."

[Yoon Suk-yeol / Former President (December 2021): I knew former Chief Yoon Woo-jin because he is the older brother of a close junior colleague, but there was never any such inappropriate involvement...]

In January 2022, at a Buddhism Leaders Forum event, he stated regarding Jeon Sung-bae, also known as "Geonjin Beopsa," that he "was introduced by a party official and has never met him alongside First Lady Kim Keon-hee."

The special counsel indicted former President Yoon on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act, determining that both statements constituted the publication of false information.

The court of first instance found him guilty on both charges, sentencing him to one year and six months in prison suspended for three years.

The Seoul High Court is scheduled to deliver its appellate ruling on the case starting at 2 p.m. today.

The key issues are the rulings on guilt or innocence and the severity of the sentence.

This is because the Public Official Election Act stipulates that if an elected official has their election invalidated, the political party they belong to must return the election expenses it was reimbursed.

If the appellate court also hands down a guilty verdict along with a sentence of a fine of 1 million won or more that warrants the invalidation of the election, and this ruling is subsequently finalized, the People Power Party must return the 39.7 billion won in election expenses reimbursed from the 20th presidential election.

During the sentencing hearing, the special counsel requested the same sentence as the first instance, arguing that former President Yoon's statements must be viewed as having had a significant impact on the election outcome.

Former President Yoon's legal team maintained his innocence, arguing that his remarks cannot be seen as the publication of false information.

The delivery of today's appellate ruling is scheduled to be broadcast live.

(Photo: Yonhap News) (Video by Yang Hyun-chul | Video Editing by Kim Jong-tae)