Ex-South Korean president Yoon appeals obstruction of arrest verdict
Yoon was handed a five-year prison sentence last Friday over charges related to his attempt to impose martial law. Under South Korean law, the deadline to lodge an appeal is one week, meaning Yoon’s legal team had until January 23 to submit their case.
After several of their key arguments were dismissed in the initial ruling, Yoon’s lawyers held a press conference on Monday, confirming that an appeal was officially filed with the Seoul Central District Court at 4 p.m.
Meanwhile, the special prosecutor, who has not yet received the full written verdict, said he intends to review the ruling before deciding whether to appeal. The team led by independent counsel Cho Eun-suk, which conducted investigations into Yoon’s alleged insurrection and other charges, had demanded a 10-year prison sentence.
Observers note that, given the prosecution’s previous expression of regret that the sentence was only half of what was sought, an appeal is widely anticipated.
The first-instance verdict for Yoon’s insurrection charges is scheduled for February 19, with the special counsel having sought the death penalty in that case.
Yoon declared emergency martial law on the night of December 3, 2024, but the measure was overturned hours later by the National Assembly. In April of the previous year, the constitutional court upheld his impeachment, officially removing him from office.
The former leader was indicted while in detention last January as a suspected ringleader of the insurrection, marking the first time a sitting South Korean president was arrested and formally charged.
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