S. Korea's special counsel indicts ex-president Yoon on charge of political funds act violation

SEOUL -- South Korea's special counsel on Wednesday indicted former impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on charge of political funds act violation.

The team of independent counsel Min Joong-ki leading an investigation into corruption allegations involving Yoon and his wife said in a statement that Yoon violated the political funds act by colluding with his wife Kim Keon-hee to receive free opinion polls worth about 270 million won (185,630 U.S. dollars) from self-proclaimed political broker Myung Tae-kyun between June 2021 and March 2022.

Myung was indicted without detention for the charge of providing the free opinion polls to Yoon and his wife.

The special counsel team also filed for a preservation order for the collection of criminal proceeds obtained by the impeached president through the political funds act violation.

The constitutional court upheld a motion to impeach Yoon on April 4 over his botched martial law bid last December, officially removing him from office.

The ousted leader was indicted under detention on Jan. 26 as a suspected ringleader of insurrection.