“South Korea: the ex-president will receive the first sentence of the court for the coup attempt.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Yoon Seok Yeol, photo: Yonhap Source: Yonhap
Details: This will be the first sentence in cases related to his failed attempt to declare martial law in 2024.
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The special prosecutor’s team last month sought a 10-year prison sentence for Yun for obstruction of justice and other charges, saying the former president committed a “serious crime” by “privatizing” state institutions to cover up and justify his criminal activities.
The verdict will be handed down in the Seoul Central District Court at 2:00 p.m. local time (at 7:00 a.m. Kyiv time – ed.). The hearing will be broadcast live after the court accepted the request of the broadcasters.
Yoon is accused of ordering the Presidential Guard Service to block investigators from executing a warrant for his arrest last January, violating the rights of nine cabinet members who were not summoned to a meeting to consider his martial law plan, and drafting and later destroying a revised proclamation after the martial law decree was lifted.
In addition, the former president is accused of ordering the distribution of press releases containing false information about the proclamation and the deletion of recordings from secure phones used by then-military commanders.
For each charge, a special group of prosecutors is demanding five years in prison for obstructing his arrest, three years for violating the rights of members of the government, spreading false information in the foreign press and destroying phone records, as well as two years for falsifying an official document.
The court’s ruling on charges of obstructing investigations and the procedural legality of martial law is expected to have implications for Yun’s sentencing next month on charges of leading the coup.
Earlier this week, special prosecutors sought the death penalty for Yun on coup charges. The court should issue a decision in this case on February 19.
South Korea’s former president faces a total of eight charges related to the attempted martial law, his wife’s corruption allegations and the 2023 death of a Marine.
This will be the third time in South Korea that the trial of a former president will be broadcast live.
In 2018, television broadcast the corruption trial of former President Park Geun-hye and former President Lee Myung-bak.
Prehistory:
- On December 3, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol declared a state of emergency in the country. In a direct televised address to the nation, Yun said the measure was necessary to protect the country from “communist forces.” He did not name a specific threat from nuclear-armed North Korea and focused on his domestic political opponents.
- South Korea’s National Assembly voted on December 4 to demand President Yoon Seok-yeol lift martial law. After that, the president announced that martial law would be lifted in the country.
- The opposition Democratic Party of South Korea planned to accuse Yeol of treason and launch impeachment proceedings.
- In a December 7 address, South Korea’s president said he “sincerely regrets” having caused public concern by declaring martial law, promising not to do it again.
- The court issued an arrest warrant for Yoon Seok-yol, the president of South Korea, who was impeached. Investigators detained President Yun in January 2025.