Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee Received 2.2 Billion Won in Prison Funds; Seo Youngkyo Seeks 4 Million Won Cap for Inmates’ Funds

Bill Introduced to Amend the Act on the Execution of Criminal Sentences and Treatment of Inmates, with Limits on Excess Deposits and Provisions for Their Return

A bill has been introduced to set a legal cap of 4 million won on funds inmates can keep in custody and to block additional deposits once that limit is exceeded. The measure aims to restrict large, repeated deposits and withdrawals after it emerged that former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, had received about 2.2 billion won in inmate deposits.

Yoon Suk Yeol and Kim Keon Hee entering the courtroom last September. Photo by the Joint Press Corps, Yonhap News.

Seo Young-kyo, chair of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, said on October 27 that she had introduced as the lead sponsor an amendment to the Act on the Execution of Sentences and Treatment of Inmates, which includes these provisions.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Justice to Seo’s office, Yoon received 1,948,520,000 won in inmate deposits from July 2025 through August 2026 and withdrew about 1.9 billion won in 574 transactions. Kim also received more than 240 million won over 13 months, bringing the couple’s cumulative deposits to about 2.2 billion won.

Current law does not provide a clear legal basis for limits on the funds inmates can keep or restrictions on deposits and withdrawals. The amendment would set the cap at 4 million won and authorize the justice minister to determine the number and amount of deposits and withdrawals, as well as how the funds may be used.

The head of a correctional facility would be prohibited from authorizing transfers that exceed the cap, and any money or goods transferred in excess would have to be returned to the sender. Exceptions could be made for legitimate purposes, including purchases made at inmates’ own expense, medical expenses, and assistance with family living expenses.

Seo previously raised concerns during a parliamentary audit about Yoon’s repeated deposits and withdrawals of inmate funds and called for improvements to the system. “We must ensure that deposits and withdrawals of inmate funds are not repeated,” Seo said. “I will do my utmost to ensure the bill passes the Legislation and Judiciary Committee as soon as possible.”

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