(LEAD) ex-president-trial

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

SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Yonhap) -- An appeals court on Wednesday upheld a suspended prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol for violating the election law in a high-stakes trial that puts the main opposition party at risk of returning nearly US$30 million in election expenses.

The Seoul High Court confirmed a lower court's sentence of 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, for Yoon on charges of making false statements as a presidential candidate for the People Power Party (PPP) before his March 2022 election.

If Yoon's conviction is finalized with a fine of at least 1 million won ($750) or a prison term, his election will be nullified and the PPP will be required to return the 39.7 billion won it was reimbursed in campaign expenses under the election law.

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