Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to five years in prison for obstructing investigators who tried to detain him last year. The Seoul Central District Court issued the verdict, stemming from Yoon’s brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. This sentence was half of what the special counsel’s team had requested, citing Yoon’s actions as a “grave crime” involving the privatization of state institutions to conceal his wrongdoing.
During the hearing, Judge Baek Dae-hyun detailed the charges against Yoon, including ordering the Presidential Security Service to block investigators, violating the rights of Cabinet members, and tampering with official documents. Yoon was found guilty on most charges, with the court noting his lack of remorse despite the severity of his actions. The ruling is expected to impact the upcoming verdict on charges of leading an insurrection through the martial law decree, with special prosecutors seeking the death penalty for Yoon.
Yoon faces a total of eight trials related to the martial law incident, alleged corruption by his wife, and the death of a Marine in 2023. This trial marks the third time a former president’s proceedings have been broadcast live, following similar events involving former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak in 2018.
