Former South Korean President Faces 10-Year Sentence in Martial Law Case
Seoul Court Hears Appeals for Yoon Suk Yeol
File image of ex South Korean Prez Yoon Suk Yeol (Photo: @RT_com/X)
Seoul, April 6: On Monday, a special counsel team requested a decade-long prison sentence for Yoon Suk Yeol, the former President of South Korea, during the appeals process concerning his obstruction of justice case linked to the martial law he imposed in 2024.
The special counsel, led by Cho Eun-suk, argued for a 10-year sentence at the Seoul High Court's final hearing, which is double the five-year sentence previously issued by a lower court in January.
According to reports from Yonhap News Agency, Yoon was found guilty by the lower court for hindering investigators from detaining him last year and for convening only a select group of Cabinet members to discuss his martial law strategy.
Additionally, he was convicted of fabricating and later discarding a false proclamation after the martial law was revoked, although he was acquitted of charges related to distributing misleading press statements.
One member of the special counsel remarked, "The severity of the crime is significant as he misused his presidential authority to undermine the constitutional framework and centralize state power," referring to Yoon's alleged directives to the Presidential Security Service to prevent his arrest.
"Since the initial ruling, he has had the chance to express remorse to the public, yet he continues to assert his innocence while making excuses," the counsel added.
As the session progressed, the court was set to hear the concluding arguments from Yoon's legal team and his personal statement.
A ruling from the court is anticipated before the end of June, as sentencing typically occurs within two months following the final arguments.
Yoon is currently involved in eight separate trials related to his brief declaration of martial law in December 2024, allegations of corruption against his wife, and the 2023 death of a Marine.
In a significant ruling earlier this year, a court sentenced him to life imprisonment for inciting an insurrection through his martial law declaration.
Since July, Yoon has been in custody awaiting the outcomes of these trials.