A special counsel team on Monday requested a 10-year prison sentence for Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during the appeals trial of his obstruction of justice case, related to his controversial 2024 imposition of martial law. The hearing took place at the Seoul High Court, where prosecutors argued that the gravity of Yoon’s actions warrants a tougher punishment than the five-year term previously imposed by a lower court in January.

Yoon was convicted by the lower court for obstructing investigators attempting to detain him last year and for summoning only select Cabinet members to a meeting reviewing his martial law plan, according to reports by Yonhap News Agency. Additionally, he was found guilty of drafting and then discarding a false proclamation after lifting the martial law decree, though he was acquitted of charges concerning the distribution of false press statements.

“The nature of the crime is severe, as he abused his position as president to undermine the constitutional order and privatize state power,” a member of the special counsel team said, referring to Yoon’s alleged instructions to the Presidential Security Service to prevent his detention. The prosecutors added that Yoon had opportunities to apologize publicly but has continued to assert his innocence, offering repeated excuses.

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During Monday’s session, the court is also scheduled to hear final arguments from Yoon’s legal team, followed by his personal closing statement. Legal experts anticipate that the Seoul High Court will issue its ruling before the end of June, as sentencing hearings in South Korea typically occur within two months of concluding arguments.

Yoon has faced a total of eight trials connected to his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024, as well as allegations involving his wife’s corruption and the 2023 death of a Marine. In a related case earlier this year, a court sentenced him to life imprisonment for leading an insurrection through the martial law declaration.

Since July, Yoon has remained in detention pending the outcomes of these trials. Analysts note that the appeals process and additional hearings reflect the judiciary’s focus on accountability for high-level officials, and the outcomes could have significant political and legal implications for South Korea’s governance and rule of law.

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