Seoul: South Korean prosecutors on Friday asked a court to sentence former president Yoon Suk Yeol to ten years in prison, marking a major step in the legal cases linked to his failed attempt to impose martial law last year.
The request was made by a special prosecutor during a hearing on charges that Yoon obstructed investigators who tried to detain him earlier this year. Prosecutors said he abused his authority by directing security officials to prevent investigators from carrying out arrest warrants at the presidential residence.
According to the prosecution, Yoon was also involved in drafting and later destroying documents related to a revised martial law decree. They told the court that these actions weakened the rule of law and posed a serious threat to democratic institutions.
Yoon has rejected the accusations, saying he acted within his constitutional powers and did not intend to obstruct justice. His lawyers have argued that the case is politically driven and that the evidence does not justify a harsh sentence.
This obstruction case is the first in which prosecutors have formally demanded a prison term for Yoon. The court is expected to give its verdict in mid January.
Apart from this case, Yoon is facing separate trials linked to the failed martial law declaration in December last year. He is also under investigation in another case involving alleged illegal political contributions connected to opinion polling.
If convicted, Yoon would become another former South Korean leader to face imprisonment, highlighting the country’s long standing practice of holding former presidents legally accountable.