Prosecutors Seek 10-Year Prison Term for South Korea’s Ousted Leader Yoon Over Obstruction Case

Overview

• Prosecutors say Yoon obstructed justice tied to his Dec. 3, 2024 martial-law declaration by excluding ministers from a decisive cabinet meeting and later impeding investigators.
• Yonhap reports prosecutors detailed that Yoon barricaded himself in the presidential complex in January to thwart an attempted arrest.
• The prosecution called his actions a grave offense that damaged public order and trust, noting he has not expressed remorse during proceedings.
• This is the first prison term request among multiple cases he faces since his April removal by the Constitutional Court, with other counts including aiding an enemy state, abuse of power, and illegal access to polling data.
• Yoon has defended the decree as a national security step against what he described as pro‑China and pro‑North Korea activities, a rationale that has fueled the broader political dispute.