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Seoul Court Sentences Ex-President Yoon to Five Years for Obstructing Justice

The decision comes ahead of a Feb. 19 verdict in the separate uprising case.

Overview

  • Judge Baek Dae Hyun ruled that Yoon blocked investigators from arresting him, abused his authority, and excluded cabinet members from meetings on the martial-law plan.
  • Prosecutors had sought a 10-year term, but the court imposed five years and noted his lack of remorse in the televised judgment.
  • A document-forgery charge was dismissed for insufficient evidence, and Yoon has seven days to appeal, which his lawyer says he will do.
  • The main case over the December 2024 martial-law declaration is due for a Feb. 19 verdict, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty despite a de facto moratorium since 1997.
  • Yoon was ousted in April 2025 after the brief martial-law move triggered a constitutional crisis and sent troops to surround the National Assembly.