SEOUL, South Korea: A court in South Korea on July 27 sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to 18 months in prison, but suspended it for three years.

This means he will not go to jail unless he commits another offense during that period. The court found him guilty of breaking election law by making false statements during his 2022 presidential campaign.

If the decision is confirmed after appeals, Yoon's People Power Party may have to return 39.7 billion won (about US$27.1 million) that it received from the National Election Commission to cover election costs after his victory.

The Seoul Central District Court said Yoon made false claims during the campaign. It said he wrongly denied introducing a lawyer to a former tax official. He also said that he and his wife, former first lady Kim Keon Hee, had not met a shaman named Jeon Seong-bae. These connections had been questioned during the election.

The court agreed with prosecutors that Yoon had in fact introduced the lawyer to the former official. It also said he had kept a long relationship with Jeon after first meeting him through his wife.

In its ruling, the court said that when a candidate shares false information at major public events such as debates and interviews, it can strongly influence how voters make their decisions.

Prosecutors had asked for a two-year prison sentence. They argued that Yoon's statements reduced public attention on the allegations during the election campaign.

Yoon has denied any wrongdoing and plans to challenge the decision. His legal team said in a statement that he would appeal the verdict.

Under South Korea's election laws, political parties can get state money to cover campaign costs if their presidential candidate wins or receives at least 15 percent of the vote. However, if a candidate later receives a final court ruling that cancels the election result, such as a prison sentence or a fine of at least 1 million won, the party must pay the money back.

Yoon is also dealing with other criminal cases. One of them is an insurrection case linked to his declaration of martial law in December 2024. In February, a lower court sentenced him to life in prison in that case.