(ATTN: UPDATES with court ruling; CHANGES headline, lead)

SEOUL, July 27 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul district court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to a suspended prison term Monday for violating the election law during his run for the 2022 presidential election.

The Seoul Central District Court handed down an 18-month prison term for Yoon, suspended for three years, after finding him guilty of making false statements as the main opposition People Power Party's (PPP) presidential candidate ahead of the election in March 2022.

If Yoon's conviction is finalized with a fine of at least 1 million won (US$685) or a jail term, the PPP is required to return the 39.7 billion won it was reimbursed in election campaign expenses under the election law.

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr

(END)

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