Yoon Suk Yeol and Kim Keon Hee Receive 2.2 Billion Won in Inmate Deposits... 8 Times the Presidential Salary

Yoon Suk Yeol: 1.95 billion won; Kim Keon Hee: 240 million won
Parliamentary audit raises questions over inmate deposit management and gift tax
"Excessive deposits are a problem... We will actively consider improvements"

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, have received nearly 2.2 billion won in inmate deposits since they were detained last year. That is about eight times this year's annual presidential salary.

According to data released the previous day by Rep. Lee Seong-yoon of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, during the Ministry of Justice's parliamentary audit, Yoon received about 1.95 billion won from his rearrest on July 10 last year through September 9 this year. Kim received about 240 million won after being detained on August 12 last year.

The total amount the two received was about 2.19 billion won, roughly eight times this year's presidential salary of about 270 million won.

Yoon Suk Yeol and Kim Keon Hee enter the courtroom. Photo by Yonhap News Agency.

During the parliamentary audit the previous day, Lee said, "It is a problem that these deposits are coming in, but correctional officers are also being used almost like personal assistants to make withdrawals. I checked, and the withdrawal process is complicated. It takes three steps. Didn't we hear all day today [during the audit] that correctional facilities are severely short of officers and personnel? I think this needs to be improved."

He added, "Many people believe the deposits should be subject to gift tax. I asked the National Tax Service, and they said it was because they weren't being notified. Please let us know how they could be taxed by the end of the comprehensive parliamentary audit."

Rep. Seo Young-kyo of the Democratic Party of Korea, chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, also criticized how inmate deposits are managed. Under the Ministry of Justice's "Guidelines on the Management of Property Held in Custody," correctional facilities keep only 4 million won per inmate and transfer any excess to the inmate's personal deposit account, a process that requires correctional staff.

"The Correctional Service says it withdraws the money [from the inmate deposits]. Why go to such lengths to be helpful?" Seo said. "If 2 billion won comes in every year, [Yoon] will become a billionaire, even though he has a life sentence."

Lee Jin-soo, acting Minister of Justice, replied, "Many have pointed out that the excessive amounts being deposited are inconsistent with the original purpose of inmate deposits. We will actively consider ways to improve the system."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.