Appeal hearings begin in ex-South Korea president Yoon’s obstruction case

2026-03-04 - 10:13

Prosecutors, who had sought a 10-year term for Yoon Suk Yeol for obstruction of justice and others, argued that the five-year sentence was “far too lenient.” (AFP pic) SEOUL: A South Korean court held an appeals hearing on Wednesday in a case involving former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was sentenced to five years in jail by a lower court on charges including obstructing arrest after his attempt to impose martial law. At the first hearing at the Seoul High Court on obstruction of justice and other charges stemming from his martial law bid in December 2024, Yoon appeared in a dark navy suit, the Yonhap News Agency said. Prosecutors, who had sought a 10-year term for Yoon, argued the five-year sentence was “far too lenient” given that Yoon had shown no remorse and offered no apology to the public, according to Yonhap. Yoon’s legal team argued the five-year sentence already exceeded his culpable responsibility, and the arrest warrants against Yoon were invalid from the outset, calling on the court to overturn the verdict and acquit him, Yonhap reported. Given the floor by the presiding judge, Yoon again denied wrongdoing, the report said. The appeals trial comes weeks after Yoon suffered a far more severe legal blow in a separate case. The former president was sentenced to life in prison by a lower court, which found him guilty of leading an insurrection during his short-lived imposition of martial law.