Yoon Suk Yeol has received his first confirmed prison sentence 583 days after the declaration of martial law on December 3.
On July 9, the Supreme Court's third division, led by Justice Lee Suk-yeon, upheld a lower court's ruling that sentenced the former president to seven years in prison for charges including obstruction of official duties and abuse of power.
The ruling was broadcast live, with the Supreme Court stating, "The investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) into Yoon's alleged role as the leader of a rebellion is not problematic," adding that even if a president has immunity from prosecution, investigations can proceed as long as they do not interfere with the performance of their duties or the authority of the head of state.
Yoon was indicted last July for allegedly mobilizing personnel from the Presidential Security Service to obstruct the execution of a CIO arrest warrant during the early stages of the martial law investigation.
Additionally, he faces charges for infringing on the deliberative rights of nine cabinet members by convening a cabinet meeting before the declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024, which excluded those members.
After the martial law was lifted, he was also accused of creating a false declaration document that suggested the martial law was enacted based on a document signed by former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, and later disposing of it. He is also charged with directing the dissemination of false information to foreign media, claiming there was no intention to undermine the constitutional order.
In the first trial, held in January, the court found him guilty of obstructing the execution of the CIO arrest warrant, infringing on the deliberative rights of seven cabinet members, creating and disposing of a false martial law declaration, and ordering the deletion of communication records from a secure phone. He was sentenced to five years in prison.
The appeals court, in April, increased the sentence to seven years, affirming that Yoon was guilty of obstructing the execution of the CIO arrest warrant and infringing on the deliberative rights of the nine cabinet members by only convening some members for the cabinet meeting.
While the appeals court also upheld the guilty verdict for creating and disposing of a false declaration document, it maintained a not guilty verdict regarding the charge of using a false public document.
Furthermore, the court found him guilty of instructing his deputy, Kim Sung-hoon, to restrict access to communication records of former National Defense Security Command Chief Lee In-hyung and others in preparation for the rebellion investigation.
Both Yoon and the special prosecution team appealed the second trial's ruling, but the Supreme Court dismissed all appeals.
Following the confirmation of Yoon's prison sentence for obstructing the arrest, he still faces seven ongoing criminal trials.
The rebellion leader case resulted in a life sentence in the first trial on February 19 and is currently under appeal at the Seoul High Court. In a separate case, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison on June 12 for directing a 'Pyongyang drone operation' to justify the declaration of martial law.
Additionally, he was acquitted on May 28 in a first trial for perjury after testifying as a witness in the rebellion case involving former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, but the special prosecution team has appealed, and the case is now in the second trial.
Moreover, he faces a first trial ruling on July 13 regarding allegations of accepting bribes for public opinion polls and another case set for July 27 related to disseminating false information during the 20th presidential election involving Jeon Seong-bae and others.
Furthermore, first trials are ongoing regarding allegations of exerting pressure on the investigation into the death of a soldier and suspicions surrounding former Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop's overseas escape.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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