Seoul: Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to five years in prison on charges including the obstruction of investigators' attempts to detain him last year. The Seoul Central District Court delivered the sentence related to Yoon's brief imposition of martial law in December 2024.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the primary charge was that Yoon ordered the Presidential Security Service to block investigators from executing a warrant for his detention at the official presidential residence in January of the previous year. Judge Baek Dae-hyun criticized Yoon during a televised hearing, stating that he "effectively privatized the armed forces" for personal interests, compromising the rule of law.

The sentence was half of what special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team had requested, as they argued the former president committed a "grave crime" by misusing state institutions. Yoon faced additional accusations, including violating the rights of Cabinet members in the martial law plan and destroying a revised proclamation.

The judge found Yoon guilty of all charges, except for certain counts related to Cabinet members' rights and false press statements. Despite no prior criminal offenses, the "nature of the crimes" and Yoon's lack of remorse were noted as aggravating factors.

Yoon's legal team announced plans to appeal, arguing the court oversimplified the distinction between presidential authority and criminal liability. They maintained that Yoon's actions were part of his role as head of state.

The court also upheld the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials' authority in investigating Yoon. The verdict could impact the upcoming insurrection charge ruling, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty. Yoon faces a total of eight trials, including allegations of his wife's corruption and the 2023 Marine death.

This marks the third live broadcast of a former president's trial, following similar cases involving Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak in 2018.