Yoon Receives 650 Million Won in Inmate Deposits Within 100 Days of Reincarceration—2.5 Times the President’s Annual Salary

Although inmate deposits are effectively being used as a channel for personal donations, unlike donations, they are subject to fewer legal restrictions, prompting calls for institutional reform.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to Eun Jung Park, a member of the Rebuilding Korea Party on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly, and reporting by Yonhap News Agency, Yoon Suk Yeol received 657.25 million won in inmate deposits over 109 days from July 10, when he was re-arrested, to October 26, topping the list at the Seoul Detention Center. There were 12,794 deposit transactions, averaging about 100 per day.

Yoon Suk Yeol withdrew 651.66 million won from his inmate deposit account in 180 separate transactions.

The maximum amount an inmate can hold in deposit at a correctional facility is 4 million won. Any excess is paid out upon release or can be transferred to a personal account upon request if necessary.

The amount of inmate deposits Yoon received is 2.5 times the president’s annual salary. According to the '2025 Regulations on Public Officials’ Salaries and Allowances,' the president’s annual salary this year is approximately 262.58 million won.

This amount also exceeds the total donations a member of the National Assembly can receive over four years. Sitting lawmakers can raise up to 150 million won per year, and up to 300 million won in an election year.

Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon-hee, who has been detained at the Seoul Southern Detention Center since August 12, received about 22.5 million won in inmate deposits over two months. Of this, she withdrew approximately 18.56 million won.

Following Yoon Suk Yeol at the Seoul Detention Center, Kweon Seong-dong of the People Power Party and Hak Ja Han, president of the Unification Church, are estimated to rank second and third in inmate deposits. Kweon received 16.6 million won after entering the facility on September 16, withdrawing about 16.44 million won. Han, who was detained on September 23, received about 5.64 million won and withdrew around 1.14 million won.

The revelation that Yoon Suk Yeol received such a large sum in inmate deposits during a little over three months of detention has sparked criticism that the deposit system is being abused as a personal fundraising tool.

Under the current Act on the Regulation of Donations Collection, anyone raising more than 10 million won in donations is required to report it to the relevant authorities.

In particular, for political funds, an individual cannot donate more than 20 million won per year. For presidential candidates, the limit is 10 million won, and for central parties and National Assembly members, the maximum is 5 million won each. Donations of 3 million won or more per year must also disclose the donor’s identity and the amount.

In contrast, inmate deposits are only subject to a 4 million won account balance limit, with no restrictions on total deposits, withdrawals, or transaction frequency. As long as the balance is kept below 4 million won, deposits and withdrawals can be repeated indefinitely.

This system also falls into a tax blind spot. While inmate deposits are subject to taxation, the National Tax Service (NTS) faces limitations in collecting tax data, making actual taxation difficult. A bill to amend the Inheritance and Gift Tax Act, which would allow the NTS Commissioner to request inmate deposit data from correctional facilities, has been submitted to the National Assembly.

Eun Jung Park stated, “The inmate deposit system, originally introduced for the convenience of inmates, has effectively become a fundraising channel for ‘Yoon Again’ political activities. To prevent operations that deviate from the original purpose of the system, it is urgent to establish reforms such as setting a cap on inmate deposits.”