Yoon and Kim Prison Deposits Prompt Calls for Rules and Tax Review

South Korea’s Justice Ministry will review how large prison deposits are handled after lawmakers disclosed that former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former first lady Kim Keon Hee had received a combined 2.19 billion won, or about $1.63 million, in their inmate accounts since being detained.

The figures emerged during a parliamentary audit on Thursday. Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sung-yoon said Yoon received approximately 1.95 billion won from July 10, 2025, through Sept. 9, 2026. Kim received about 240 million won after her detention began on Aug. 12, 2025. The combined sum is roughly eight times the annual presidential salary of about 270 million won.

Korean correctional rules allow inmates to hold money they bring into a facility and to receive deposits from outside. Inmates may keep and spend up to 4 million won in their prison accounts. Amounts above that ceiling are placed in a separate account under the inmate’s name until release, although transfers to family members or other destinations can be approved.

Lawmakers focused not only on the scale of the deposits but also on the administrative burden placed on correctional officers. Lee argued that prison staff were effectively being required to assist inmates with withdrawals through a multistage process, even as correctional facilities face personnel shortages. He also called on the ministry to examine whether some deposits should be subject to gift tax.

Seo Young-kyo, chair of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, questioned why correctional facilities facilitate transfers of excess balances into inmates’ personal bank accounts. Her remarks highlighted a gap between the formal account limit and the ability to move funds elsewhere with institutional assistance.

Acting Justice Minister Lee Jin-soo said the ministry would consider reforms. He acknowledged that prison officers have helped inmates transfer money after account balances reach the limit and said clear rules do not currently govern the size or frequency of those transfers.

The disclosure adds a financial oversight issue to the legal scrutiny surrounding the former first couple. Yoon has been detained since July 2025 on charges including obstruction of official duties and falsification of official documents in connection with the investigation into his December 2024 martial law declaration. Kim has been detained on bribery charges.

Any policy response will need to distinguish lawful support for inmates from deposits that raise tax, transparency or administrative concerns. The ministry’s review could address transfer procedures, staffing demands and whether unusually large payments require additional reporting or tax treatment.