Buenos Aires, January 16 (NA) – The ousted president of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, has been sentenced to five years in prison for obstructing his arrest. The criminal division of the Seoul Central District Court handed down the prison sentence after Yoon abused the presidential security service to prevent the anti-corruption agency from executing an arrest warrant in January 2025, as learned by the Argentine News Agency. The High-ranking Officials' Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) was thwarted in its attempt to arrest Yoon when the presidential security service formed human shields and bus blockades to prevent investigators from entering the presidential residence. The team of Cho Eun-suk, the independent counsel who led the investigations into Yoon's insurrection and other charges, had requested a 10-year prison sentence for the former president. The court stated that Yoon privatized the presidential security service for his personal security and private interests by blocking the lawful execution of an arrest warrant by law enforcement and attempting to destroy evidence. It noted that, despite the severity of his crime, he consistently offered unconvincing excuses and showed no remorse. Additionally, the court emphasized the need for a severe punishment, considering the need to restore the rule of law damaged by Yoon's crime, although it noted as a mitigating factor that he has no prior criminal record. The sentence, which was broadcast live, constituted the first verdict against Yoon stemming from his failed attempt to impose martial law on the night of December 3, 2024. Finally, the first-instance verdict on the insurrection charges against Yoon is scheduled for February 19. The special prosecution requested the death penalty for these charges.
