Jailed Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Receives Over 1.2 Billion Won in Inmate Funds

Justice Ministry data shows jailed former South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol received over 1.2 billion won in inmate funds through 27,000 transactions.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 1, 2026, 11:18 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Straits Times

Record Breaking Deposits at Seoul Detention Center

New data from South Korea's Justice Ministry has unveiled the massive scale of financial support flowing to former President Yoon Suk Yeol while he remains in custody. Between July 2025 and March 2026, Yoon received a total of 1.24 billion won in inmate funds. These funds arrived through a staggering 27,410 individual deposits, marking the highest amount ever recorded for an inmate at the Seoul Detention Center during a similar timeframe. This financial influx is approximately 4.6 times the official annual presidential salary for 2025, which was set at 271.77 million won.

Navigating Inmate Account Restrictions

The high volume of transactions is partly explained by the specific regulations governing inmate finances in South Korea. While there is no limit on the total amount an inmate can receive or the frequency of deposits, prison rules mandate that an inmate’s account balance cannot exceed four million won at any given time. To manage the 1.24 billion won sent to him, Yoon’s account saw more than 350 withdrawals, averaging 1.4 transactions per day. These withdrawals typically involve transferring excess funds to a private bank account or using them for daily necessities within the facility.

Political and Familial Financial Support

The data, brought to light by Representative Park Eun-jung of the Rebuilding Korea Party, also included financial records for Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee. Currently held at the Seoul Southern Detention Center, Kim received approximately 93.05 million won through 4,554 transactions during her period of detention. This represents the second largest amount received at her specific facility. Much like her husband, Kim has processed dozens of withdrawals to keep her internal prison account within the legal limits while managing the significant support from outside donors.