Seoul: A special counsel team on Monday sought a two-year prison term for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, citing violations of election law during his 2022 presidential campaign. The sentencing recommendation was made by Special Counsel Min Joong-ki's team at the Seoul Central District Court during the final hearing of Yoon's trial. Yoon, who was the presidential candidate for the People Power Party (PPP), is charged with violating the Public Officials Election Act.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon faces accusations of making false statements during a December 2021 debate, where he claimed not to have introduced a lawyer to a former tax agency official. Additionally, in a January 2022 interview, Yoon allegedly made false claims about being introduced to shaman Jeon Seong-bae by a party official and denied meeting the shaman with his wife. Jeon, linked to Yoon's wife, Kim Keon Hee, was sentenced to five years in prison last month for accepting bribes from the Unification Church in 2022 by colluding with Kim.

Min's team argued that Yoon's alleged actions could have influenced the 2022 presidential election results, which he narrowly won. If convicted of election law violations and receiving a final sentence of 1 million won (US$651) or more in fines, the PPP would be required to return approximately 39.7 billion won reimbursed for its election expenses.

The former president, already serving a life sentence for leading an insurrection through his failed martial law bid in December 2024, continues to face multiple trials. A Seoul district court handed down the life sentence in February for his role in the attempted insurrection.