Former security officials have been sentenced to prison for obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant against Yoon Suk Yeol, the former president of South Korea.
The Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 26, presided over by Judge Lee Hyun-kyung, sentenced Park Jong-jun, the former head of the security office, to four years in prison, and Kim Seong-hoon, the former deputy head, to five years. Lee Kwang-woo, the former head of the security headquarters, received a sentence of two years and six months, while Kim Shin, the former head of the family security department, was given a one-year sentence with a two-year probation.
The court ordered the immediate detention of Park and Kim, citing a risk of flight.
The defendants were accused of obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant issued by the High-ranking Officials Crime Investigation Agency (SPO) in January of last year while investigating Yoon for insurrection-related charges.
The court found that the defendants were fully aware that they had no legal grounds to prevent the execution of the warrant, yet they organized efforts to obstruct it. As a result, the court ruled all charges against them as guilty.
The court stated, "The execution of a lawful arrest warrant and search warrant cannot be seen as a threat to the physical safety of former President Yoon. It is acknowledged that they conspired to use physical force against the officials executing the warrant by setting up barricades and mobilizing their personnel."
In determining the sentences, the court noted, "The defendants used personnel from the security office to obstruct the lawful execution of the warrant under the illegal orders of former President Yoon. This is a serious crime that involved blocking the execution of the warrant for an extended period using the organizational structure and command system of a state agency."
The court further criticized the defendants for systematically obstructing the investigation into Yoon's insurrection charges and judicial proceedings, undermining the rule of law in the country, and creating a risk of physical confrontation with public officials.
Specifically addressing Park, the court remarked, "As the person responsible for overseeing the entire security office, he should have refused Yoon's orders, even if they were given."
Kim, the former deputy head, is also accused of being involved in deleting sensitive information from the secure phones of three military commanders under Yoon's orders. The court found him guilty of violating the Presidential Security Act, emphasizing that he played a particularly active role in obstructing the execution of the arrest warrant.
However, the court considered that Kim did not conspire with the other defendants in the overall obstruction of the warrant execution when sentencing him to probation.
Earlier, the special investigation team led by Jo Eun-seok had sought sentences of seven years for Park and Kim, five years for Lee, and three years for Kim during the closing arguments, stating that they completely denied the principles of the rule of law and warrant system as defined by the Constitution.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.