Yoon, wife receive prison deposits worth eight times the president's annual salary
The incarcerated former first couple received a combined 2.19 billion won ($1.63 million) in prison deposits. The yearly presidential salary is around 270 million won.
Ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, sit in chairs at the then-presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, in a photo posted on Facebook on May 29, 2022.SCREEN CAPTURE
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife have together received eight times the president’s annual salary in their prison bank accounts in just one year.
The incarcerated former first couple has received a combined 2.19 billion won ($1.63 million) in prison deposits since their detention began last year, according to the parliamentary audit on Thursday. The yearly presidential salary is around 270 million won.
Inmates are legally allowed to receive or keep some funds in their prison account, including money that they bring when they first enter a correctional facility and funds deposited into their account by people outside.
The ousted president received about 1.95 billion won from July 10, 2025, through Sept. 9 this year, according to ruling Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Lee Sung-yoon.
Yoon has been behind bars since July last year, when he was detained for a second time on charges of obstruction of official duties and falsification of official documents in a special counsel probe into his December 2024 martial law declaration.
Separately, former first lady Kim Keon Hee has received about 240 million won since she was detained on Aug. 12 last year on bribery charges.
Inmates can keep and spend up to 4 million won. The excess is held in a separate account under the inmate’s name until their release, though they may seek approval to transfer the funds elsewhere, such as to family members.
“The deposits themselves are a problem, but prison officers are also being treated like personal assistants by handling withdrawals for inmates,” Rep. Lee said.
Former first lady Kim Keon Hee, left, in a courtroom at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul on Sept. 24, 2025JOINT PRESS CORPS
“The withdrawal process is complicated, as it requires three stages. We’ve heard about severe staffing shortages at correctional facilities […] during the audit. I think that this practice needs to change.”
He alsofloated the idea of subjecting the deposits to gift taxes.
“Many believe that gift taxes should be imposed on the deposits,” Lee said. “I want the [Ministry of Justice] to draw up a comprehensive plan for how these funds could be taxed before the parliamentary audit concludes.”
DP Rep. Seo Young-kyo, who chairs the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, questioned why correctional facilities transfer excess funds to inmates’ personal bank accounts.
“Why are prison authorities doing him the favor of withdrawing [Yoon’s] money?” said Seo. “If [he] keeps receiving 2 billion won a year and ends up serving a life sentence, he could still amass a fortune worth more than 100 billion won.”
Acting Justice Minister Lee Jin-soo pledged to review possible reforms to the system.
“Prison officers have apparently been helping inmates transfer money once their accounts reach the limit, ostensibly for their benefit,” said the acting justice minister. “But there are no clear rules governing the amounts or frequency of those transfers.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
