Overview
- The verdict is the first in a series of cases tied to Yoon’s December 2024 declaration of emergency martial law.
- Judges said his order to the Presidential Security Service to block detectives effectively turned public guards into a private militia for personal benefit.
- He was acquitted on parts of other counts, including elements of abuse of authority, while prosecutors had sought a 10-year sentence on the obstruction charge.
- The High-Ranking Crimes Investigation Office’s initial January 2025 attempt to arrest him was thwarted on his orders, and he was later detained on a second try.
- A separate rebellion case, in which special prosecutors have requested the death penalty, is scheduled for a February 19 verdict.