Former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee faced separate trials at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday over corruption allegations, the second such instance. Correctional officials arranged their appearances to avoid crossing paths, as they did not meet during a similar court date in November.
On March 17, 2026, former President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared at the Seoul Central District Court for trial on charges of receiving free opinion polls from Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed power broker, ahead of the 2022 presidential election. Prosecutors allege he colluded with his wife to accept the polls in exchange for supporting former Rep. Kim Young-sun's nomination as a People Power Party candidate in later parliamentary by-elections. In an earlier trial on the same charge, the court acquitted Kim Keon Hee, ruling that the polls did not constitute economic benefit to the couple. Meanwhile, Kim faced trial at the same court for allegedly accepting gifts, including jewelry worth over 100 million won ($67,000) such as a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace from a construction company chairman, in return for influence over public office appointments, among other instances. Her lawyers admitted she received the gifts but denied any quid pro quo, arguing that special prosecutors had reconstructed the case without direct evidence. This marks the second time the couple appeared at the same court on the same day for separate trials; they did not meet during the first instance in November. Yoon and Kim are detained at separate facilities amid multiple charges, including those related to Yoon's attempt to impose martial law in late 2024. Correctional officials coordinated to prevent them from crossing paths.
