A South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk-yeol to five years in prison after convicting him of obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and other charges.
The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) reported Friday that this ruling, handed down by the Seoul Central District Court, represents the first verdict among eight ongoing criminal trials facing the ousted president.
In its ruling, the court found Yoon guilty of obstructing authorities from executing an arrest warrant related to his December 2024 martial law declaration.
The presiding judge of the three-member panel stated: “The defendant exploited his immense influence as president to block the execution of lawful arrest warrants through security officials. This effectively resulted in the privatization of loyal public officials of the Republic of Korea for his own personal gain and security.”
Yoon’s defense team has announced its intention to appeal the verdict. Yoo Jung-hwa, one of his attorneys, confirmed that the former president would challenge the ruling, adding, “We express our objection to this decision, which we believe is politically motivated.”
Notably, Yoon was convicted of ordering the Presidential Security Service to block an arrest warrant against him on January 3 of last year, as well as failing to consult his full cabinet before declaring martial law on December 3, 2024.
The court characterized Yoon’s crimes as “extremely grave,” noting that he has refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing. It emphasized that deterrent sanctions are necessary to uphold the rule of law.
