The Tamesis
April 7, 2026
Seoul – Prosecutors at an appeal hearing sought a 10-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Seok-yeol on obstruction of justice and related charges for allegedly trying to evade arrest after the failed declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024.
At the final hearing at the Seoul High Court, the special prosecutor team headed by Cho Eun-sook requested the same sentence as the first trial due to the seriousness of the case.
“He is guilty because he used his position as president to undermine the constitutional order and privatize public power,” a member of the team said. “Although he has the responsibility to uphold the constitution, he denies the charges and has shown an uncooperative attitude and no remorse throughout the investigation and trial.”
In January, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoon to five years in prison, half the sentence prosecutors sought.
The court found him guilty of four of five counts, including obstruction of justice, for his role in convening a limited cabinet of cabinet members to review the martial law plan and for trying to present the declaration as a legal document signed by then-Prime Minister Han Deok-soo and Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. The document was later abandoned.
The court also cited a number of mitigating factors in reducing the sentence, including that he had no previous convictions. Both Yoon and the special prosecutor appealed.
A date for the appeal has not yet been set, but a decision is expected in the first half of this year.
