Court Cases for Former South Korean Leaders

May 12, 2026, 09:03
AsiaPolitics

Introduction

Courts in South Korea are judging former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former Minister Lee Sang-min. They may have broken the law.

Main Body

Former Minister Lee Sang-min must go to prison for nine years. He followed orders from President Yoon to stop the National Assembly. He also stopped news companies from working. He lied to the court about these actions. Former President Yoon Suk Yeol may go to prison for four years. A man named Myung Tae-kyun gave him free poll services. These services cost 270 million won. The court says this was a secret deal for political power. The government wants President Yoon and Myung to pay back 137.2 million won. They say this deal hurt the country's democracy.

Conclusion

The courts are now deciding the final punishments for these two men.

Learning

⏱️ The 'Past' Action Tool

When we talk about things that already happened, we often add -ed to the end of a word.

Look at these changes from the text:

  • Stop → Stopped
  • Follow → Followed
  • Lie → Lied

Why this matters for A2: If you see -ed, the person is not doing it now. They did it before.

💰 Money Words

In English, we use specific words for money moves:

  1. Cost →\rightarrow The price of something. (Example: The services cost 270 million won)
  2. Pay back →\rightarrow Give money back to someone. (Example: The government wants them to pay back...)

⚖️ Simple Power Words

  • Former = Not anymore. (A former president is a man who was president in the past, but is not the president today).
  • Secret = Not told to other people.

Vocabulary Learning

court
a place where legal cases are heard
Example:The court decided to keep the case open.
judge
to decide a case
Example:The judge will judge the evidence.
law
rules that people must follow
Example:Everyone must obey the law.
prison
a place where people are kept for breaking the law
Example:He was sent to prison for five years.
order
a command to do something
Example:The president gave an order to stop the meeting.
stop
to end or prevent something
Example:She stopped the traffic with a red light.
news
information about recent events
Example:The news showed the new rules.
company
a group that makes or sells things
Example:The company made a new product.
lie
to say something that is not true
Example:He lied about his travel plans.
man
an adult male
Example:The man walked into the office.
name
a word that identifies someone
Example:Her name is Maria.
free
without cost
Example:The free samples were tasty.
service
something done for someone
Example:Customer service helped me.
cost
to require money
Example:The repair cost $200.
secret
hidden from others
Example:They kept a secret plan.
deal
an agreement
Example:They made a deal to share profits.
political
related to government
Example:Political decisions affect everyone.
power
ability to influence
Example:He used his power to change the law.
government
the group that runs a country
Example:The government announced new taxes.
pay
to give money
Example:They will pay the bill.
back
in the direction of the rear
Example:She walked back to the house.
hurt
to cause pain
Example:The fall hurt my knee.
country
a nation
Example:Japan is a country in Asia.
democracy
a system where people vote
Example:The country has a strong democracy.
decide
to make a choice
Example:We will decide tomorrow.
final
last or ultimate
Example:This is the final exam.
punishment
a penalty for wrongdoing
Example:The punishment was a fine.
year
a period of 12 months
Example:The contract lasts one year.
men
plural of man
Example:The men worked together.