Ex S. Korea Prez sentenced to 18-month suspended prison term over election campaign lies

Former South Korea president Yoon Suk Yeol was on Monday sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, after a Seoul court found him guilty of making false statements during his successful 2022 presidential campaign.The verdict adds to a string of criminal cases against the ousted leader and, if upheld on appeal, could invalidate his election victory and saddle his former party with a multi-billion won financial penalty.According to the Seoul central district court, Yoon violated South Korea's election law by making false claims during the 2022 campaign, including denying that he had introduced a lawyer to a former tax official and insisting that neither he nor his wife, former first lady Kim Keon Hee, had met controversial shaman Jeon Seong-bae.The court accepted prosecutors' contention that Yoon had, in fact, introduced the lawyer to the former official and had maintained a long-standing relationship with Jeon after first meeting him through Kim.According to Reuters, explaining its decision, the court said, "When a candidate personally announces false information at public events with a large impact, such as debates and interviews, the effect on voters' decision ma...