Former President Yoon receives more than $446,000 in prison deposits
Published: 09 Nov. 2025, 15:40
Updated: 10 Nov. 2025, 14:00
![Former President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the first trial hearing on charges including obstruction of special official duties and abuse of power at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul on Sept. 26. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/10/2a47a42e-2879-4f06-9bff-b1901a0fe552.jpg)
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the first trial hearing on charges including obstruction of special official duties and abuse of power at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul on Sept. 26. [YONHAP]
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, currently detained at the Seoul Detention Center, received more than 650 million won ($446,000) in commissary deposits over the past 100 days, data showed on Saturday.
The deposits, which can be made by anyone regardless of their relationship with the receiver, allow an inmate to make purchases within detention facilities.
According to records submitted by the Ministry of Justice to Rep. Park Eun-jung of the Rebuilding Korea Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Yoon received 657.25 million won in deposits from July 10 — the day he was redetained — to Oct. 26, a span of 109 days. This is the highest sum of deposits given to any inmate at the facility.
A total of 12,794 separate deposits were made into his account, averaging about 100 deposits per day. Of that total, Yoon withdrew 651.66 million won from 180 transactions. According to the 2025 Regulations on Allowances for Public Officials, the presidential salary for this year is approximately 262.58 million won, which makes the amount that Yoon received roughly 2.5 times the president's annual salary.
Yoon's wife, Kim Keon Hee, who has been held at the Seoul Southern Detention Center since Aug. 12, received about 22.5 million won during the same period, of which she withdrew roughly 18.56 million won across 18 transactions.
According to the Korea Correctional Service, inmates are allowed to store up to 4 million won to use inside detention facilities. While there is no cap on the amount that can be deposited, any sum exceeding that limit is transferred to a bank account under the inmate's name and given to them upon their release.
Yoon’s prison deposit account was made public on Aug. 11 by Kim Gye-ri, one of the attorneys who defended him during his impeachment trial. Kim also deposited 1 million won into the account that day.
“The prison deposit system, originally designed to support the basic needs of inmates, has effectively turned into a political fundraising tool for ‘Yoon Again,’” Rep. Park said, referring to the slogan used by Yoon supporters who still demand his release and oppose President Lee Jae Myung.
“It’s urgent that we reform the system, including setting a cap on deposits, to ensure it stays true to its intended purpose.”
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.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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