Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced this Friday (16) to five years in prison for obstruction of justice, in the first verdict of several trials he faces for his failed imposition of martial law in December 2024.
The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon guilty of hindering arrest attempts and destroying evidence, while noting that the seriousness of the crimes is “very high” and that the accused never showed signs of regret.
The sentence is lower than that requested by the Public Ministry, which asked for ten years in prison.
In a decision televised live by local media, the court further stated that Yoon violated the right to deliberation of several ministers by failing to notify them of the call for a meeting prior to the declaration of martial law. The former president summoned only ministers considered loyal, in a meeting that lasted less than five minutes.
The court also argued that the state of emergency proclamation signed by Yoon constituted the forgery of a public document, and condemned the former president for “militarizing” the Presidential Security Service in obstructing the attempted arrest against him on January 3, 2025.
However, the former president was acquitted of the charge of an alleged order to disseminate false information to the foreign press. According to the newspaper The Korea Times, the former president’s lawyers stated that they will appeal the sentence.
On December 3, 2024, Yoon declared martial law in the country, claiming that the main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), was “pro-North Korea” and that the measure was necessary to preserve the constitutional order.
After the country’s Parliament voted to repeal martial law (even with military personnel entering the Legislative building), Yoon decided to backtrack and canceled the measure. Days later, he had his impeachment approved by the National Assembly.
In April last year, South Korea’s Constitutional Court confirmed Yoon’s impeachment.
The former president faces seven other trials, including one for insurrection in which he could be sentenced to the death penalty, following the recent request for such punishment by the South Korean MP.
The sentence in the insurrection case will be released on February 19, but if he is sentenced to the death penalty, it is unlikely that the punishment will be applied, as there has been a moratorium on executions in the country for almost 40 years.
