Yoon Seok-youl's 'Obstruction of Arrest' Case Assigned to Supreme Court Panel 3... Presiding Justice Lee Sook-yeon

Sentenced to 5 Years in First Trial

7-Year Sentence Handed Down by Insurrection Panel in Appeal

Both Special Prosecutor and Yoon File Appeals

The Supreme Court has begun its review in earnest as the panel for the final appeal trial regarding former President Yoon Seok-youl's charges of obstructing the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (CIO) and other allegations has been assigned.

On the 16th, citizens were watching the trial in the Seoul Station concourse, where the court sentenced former President Yoon Sukyeol to 5 years in prison in the first trial for charges including obstruction of arrest and infringement on the deliberation rights of cabinet members. January 16, 2026 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

On the 20th, the Supreme Court allocated former President Yoon's case—charges of obstruction of special official duties and abuse of authority to impede the exercise of rights—to the third panel, consisting of Justices Lee Heung-gu, Oh Seok-jun, Noh Kyung-pil, and Lee Sook-yeon. Justice Lee Sook-yeon (26th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute) will serve as the presiding justice, marking the first time a final appeal trial will be held in connection with former President Yoon's 12·3 Martial Law case.

Former President Yoon is accused of mobilizing Presidential Security Service personnel in January last year to prevent the CIO from executing an arrest warrant. He is also charged with infringing on the deliberation rights of nine Cabinet members by convening only a select few for a Cabinet meeting—thereby excluding the others—at the time of the martial law proclamation.

Additionally, he faces charges of fabricating a false proclamation after martial law was lifted by creating documents as if the revocation was authorized by former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, and subsequently destroying these documents.

Previously, on the 29th of last month, the first criminal division (Chief Judge Yoon Sung-sik), which specializes in insurrection cases at the Seoul High Court, sentenced former President Yoon to seven years in prison. This is two years longer than the five-year sentence handed down in the first trial, but still shorter than the 10-year sentence requested by the special prosecutor's team.

The court overturned its previous not-guilty verdicts from the first trial regarding false promotion to foreign media (abuse of authority) and infringement of deliberation rights of the Ministers of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Trade, Industry and Energy, finding Yoon guilty on these charges.

However, he was acquitted of the charge of fabricating the "martial law proclamation" in collusion with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Presidential Secretary for Aides Kang Eui-gu. Both the special prosecutor's team led by Cho Eun-seok and former President Yoon's side have filed appeals.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.