Former President Yoon Suk-yeol will face his first trial on the 17th over allegations that he received public opinion polling for free from "political broker" Myung Tae-gyun. On the same day, the first trial will also open in the so-called "sale of offices" case involving first lady Kim Keon-hee.
According to legal sources on the 15th, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Agreement Division 33 (Chief Judge Lee Jin-gwan) will hold the first hearing at 2 p.m. on the 17th in the case of former President Yoon and Myung on charges of violating the Political Funds Act. The court plans to hear the special counsel's summary of the indictment, statements from both defendants, and conduct a review of documentary evidence.
Prosecutors allege that, in collusion with the first lady, the former president received a total of 58 public opinion polls worth 270 million won from April 2021 to March 2022 from Myung free of charge. During the same period, Myung is accused of donating those polls for free to the former president and the first lady.
The special counsel concluded that, in return, the former presidential couple wielded influence so that former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun and others could win nominations in the June 2022 by-elections for the National Assembly.
On the same day, the first hearing for the first lady, indicted on charges of brokerage bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, will also be held at the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Agreement Division 21 (Presiding Judge Cho Soon-pyo). She was indicted over the so-called "sale of offices" allegation that she accepted a luxury bag and a gold turtle in return for public office.
According to the special counsel, from Mar. 15 to May 20, 2022, the first lady is accused of accepting jewelry worth more than 100 million won from Seo Hee Construction Chairman Lee Bong-gwan in return for business favors and for personnel solicitation on behalf of her eldest son-in-law, former Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Park Sung-geun.
In the same year in April and June, she is also accused of receiving a gold turtle and the Sehando valued at 2.65 million won from former National Education Commission Chairman Lee Bae-yong, and of accepting an expensive wristwatch worth up to 40 million won from businessman Seo Sung-bin for help with a robot dog project.