The Supreme Court will deliver its ruling on July 9 regarding the case against former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is accused of obstructing the arrest by the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) shortly after the declaration of martial law on December 3. This will mark the first final judicial decision in a series of trials involving Yoon.
According to legal sources on July 2, the Supreme Court's third division, led by Justice Lee Sook-yeon, will hold a hearing at 2 p.m. on July 9 to announce its verdict on Yoon's case, which includes charges of obstructing special public duties and abuse of power.
Yoon was indicted last year for allegedly mobilizing personnel from the Presidential Security Service to physically prevent the lawful execution of a CIO arrest warrant.
In addition to the obstruction charges, Yoon is accused of infringing on the deliberative rights of nine cabinet members by selectively convening only certain officials during a cabinet meeting, thereby manipulating its appearance during the martial law declaration. After the martial law was lifted, he is also charged with creating a false declaration that the martial law was conducted lawfully, based on documents signed post-facto by former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, and subsequently disposing of those documents unlawfully.
In April, the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 1, which specializes in insurrection cases, sentenced Yoon to seven years in prison, increasing the original five-year sentence from the first trial.
The court found Yoon guilty of both obstructing the execution of the CIO arrest warrant and infringing on the deliberative rights of cabinet members. Notably, the court also ruled him guilty of directing the dissemination of a press guidance that contained false information to foreign media, which was previously acquitted in the first trial. However, the court maintained the acquittal regarding the charge of using false public documents.
The Supreme Court's decision is expected to be delivered about 20 days ahead of the statutory deadline for sentencing under the Special Act on Insurrection, which is set for July 29. Given the significance of the case, there was speculation about the possibility of it being referred to the Supreme Court's en banc, but the court opted for a swift resolution through its division.
This ruling will be the first final conclusion from the judiciary regarding one of the several trials Yoon is currently facing.
Meanwhile, the main case related to the martial law declaration, where Yoon faces charges as the alleged leader of an insurrection, is still ongoing in the Seoul High Court's dedicated insurrection trial division. The first trial court had previously recognized Yoon's insurrection leadership and sentenced him to life in prison.
On the same day, July 9, the Supreme Court will also announce its ruling on former Unification Church leader Yoon Young-ho, who is accused of providing money to political figures, including Kim Geon-hee and lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong, in connection with Unification Church-related matters, violating political funding laws. The appellate court had sentenced Yoon to one year and six months in prison in April.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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