(3rd LD) Appeals court acquits ex-President Yoon in 'free opinion polls' case

SEOUL, Oct. 7 (Yonhap) -- An appellate court overturned a lower court ruling Wed...

Yonhap NewsChae Yun-hwan2026-10-07 16:12查看原文 ↗

This file photo shows former President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

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(ATTN: UPDATES with ruling reactions, details in paras 3, 6; ADDS photo)

SEOUL, Oct. 7 (Yonhap) -- An appellate court overturned a lower court ruling Wednesday, acquitting former President Yoon Suk Yeol of charges related to receiving free opinion polls ahead of the 2022 presidential election in violation of the political funds law.

The Seoul High Court found Yoon not guilty of violating the Political Funds Act, which bans improper political donations, reversing the Seoul Central District Court's conviction in July that had sentenced him to two years in prison.

Following the appellate ruling, special counsel Min Joong-ki's team indicated it would file an appeal to the Supreme Court, while Yoon's legal team welcomed the acquittal.

Yoon had been indicted on charges of colluding with his wife and receiving 58 opinion polls worth about 270 million won (US$202,000) in total for free from self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun between April 2021 and March 2022.

The appellate court ruled that Myung's provision of opinion polls could not be seen as political donations under the political funds law as they could not be categorized as having a benefit in terms of property.

"While the political advice provided by Myung Tae-kyun could be seen as having political benefits, it is difficult to view it as a donation of political funds as it cannot be converted as a benefit in terms of property," the court said.

This file photo shows former President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

The court also cited the lack of evidence indicating that the former first couple and Myung had made an agreement for free opinion polls.

The appellate court also acquitted Myung, who had also been indicted in the case, overturning the lower court ruling that sentenced him to 18 months in prison.

The special counsel team had sought a four-year prison term for Yoon and a three-year term for Myung.

The Seoul Central District Court had convicted Yoon for 14 of the 58 free opinion polls, ruling there had been an implicit agreement for the opinion polls between the two sides.

The latest ruling comes after the former president's wife, Kim Keon Hee, was acquitted of the same charges in her separate first- and second-instance trials. She is awaiting a final ruling from the Supreme Court.

Yoon has been standing multiple criminal trials following his failed 2024 martial law bid and subsequent ouster from office.

He was sentenced to life in prison in February for leading an insurrection through his martial law declaration. That case is currently under review at the appellate court.

Self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun (L) speaks to reporters at the Seoul High Court in southern Seoul on Oct. 7, 2026, after attending the sentencing hearing of his appellate trial on charges of violating the Political Funds Act. (Yonhap)

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr (END)

(3rd LD) Ex-President Yoon sentenced to 2 yrs in prison in 'free opinion poll' case

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(3rd LD) Appeals court acquits ex-President Yoon in 'free opinion polls' case

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（注意：已更新裁决结果，详情见第3、6段；新增照片）

首尔，10 月 7 日（韩联社）——周三，一家上诉法院推翻了下级法院的裁决，宣布前总统尹锡烈无罪，此前他被指控在 2022 年总统选举前接受免费民意调查，违反了政治资金法。

首尔高等法院裁定尹某违反禁止不正当政治捐款的《政治资金法》的罪名不成立，推翻了首尔中央地方法院7月份判处其两年监禁的判决。

上诉法院作出裁决后，特别检察官闵仲基的团队表示将向最高法院提起上诉，而尹某的法律团队则对无罪判决表示欢迎。

尹某被指控与妻子合谋，在 2021 年 4 月至 2022 年 3 月期间，从自称权力掮客的明泰均处免费获得 58 份民意调查报告，总价值约 2.7 亿韩元（20.2 万美元）。

上诉法院裁定，明提供的民意调查不能被视为政治捐款，因为根据政治资金法，这些捐款不能被归类为具有财产利益。

法院表示：“虽然明泰均提供的政治建议可能具有政治利益，但很难将其视为政治资金捐赠，因为它不能转化为财产利益。”