Overview
- Seoul Central District Court convicted Yoon of obstructing his arrest by deploying the Presidential Security Service, fabricating official documents, bypassing the required full cabinet process for martial law, and deleting phone data.
- Presiding Judge Baek Dae-hyun said Yoon showed no remorse and that a severe punishment was necessary to restore the rule of law.
- Yoon’s legal team said it will appeal, calling the ruling politicised and arguing the court blurred the line between presidential authority and criminal liability.
- The insurrection trial linked to the martial law episode remains pending, with a verdict scheduled for Feb. 19 after prosecutors requested a death sentence.
- The five-year term is the first ruling among eight ongoing cases tied to Yoon and associates, following a six-hour decree that parliament revoked and that ultimately led to his removal from office.