Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Indicted Over Illegal Political Funds

South Korea's political stage is facing fresh turmoil. A special counsel team on Wednesday indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of violating the Political Funds Act, alleging he received dozens of opinion poll results for free during his presidential campaign.

Allegations of a $186,000 'Gift'

According to a press notice from special counsel Min Joong-ki's team, Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, are accused of receiving the results of 58 opinion polls, valued at 270 million won (US$186,000), between June 2021 and March 2022. The team also indicted Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed power broker, for allegedly providing the polls. Kim Keon Hee has already been indicted on the same charge and is scheduled to receive a court verdict on January 28.

Unanswered Questions and What's Next

The special counsel had also investigated suspicions that the free polls were a quid pro quo for the presidential couple's help in securing candidate nominations for the June 2022 parliamentary by-elections. However, these allegations were not listed in the indictment. With the team's term set to end this Sunday, it's likely that any unresolved portions of the case will be transferred to the police for further investigation.