▲ This composite image shows file photos of former President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

ex-president-trial

1st trial on Yoon's 'free opinion poll' case to be held March 17

SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- The first formal trial on former President Yoon Suk Yeol's alleged acceptance of free polling services from a self-proclaimed power broker will be held on March 17 and continue at one-week intervals thereafter, a court said Tuesday.

The Seoul Central District Court set the trial schedule for Yoon and power broker Myung Tae-kyun during a preparatory hearing on the case earlier Tuesday.

Yoon was indicted by a special counsel team on charges of receiving the results of 58 opinion polls worth 270 million won (US$186,000) from Myung for free between April 2021 and March 2022. Myung was also indicted for offering free opinion polls in violation of the Political Funds Act.

Yoon's wife, Kim Keon Hee, has already been indicted on the same charge and is set to receive the court's verdict Wednesday.

Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team suspects that the free opinion polls were in exchange for the presidential couple's help with securing candidate nominations for the June 2022 parliamentary by-elections.

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