Prosecutors seek 10-year prison sentence for ex-president in appeals trial

SEOUL, April 6 (AJP) - Prosecutors sought a 10-year prison sentence for disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of obstructing law enforcement during an appeals trial in Seoul on Monday.

It is one of the cases related to his botched declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, separate from his main charges of insurrection and abuse of power, for which he was sentenced to life in prison in February.

In the first ruling delivered last January, Yoon was sentenced to five years in prison for obstructing investigators and other officials who tried to detain him for questioning over his short-lived, late-night debacle.

Prosecutors, who had also sought the same 10-year term in the first trial, argued that the lower court misread some facts, dismissed certain charges against Yoon, and handed down a sentence that was too lenient.

With both sides filing appeals shortly after the first ruling, Yoon who has repeatedly claimed the declaration was a "mere warning" without any procedural violations, is expected to be sentenced again sometime in the first half of this year.