Case Explained:This article breaks down the legal background, charges, and implications of Case Explained: Ex-President Yoon’s legal team files appeal in obstruction of justice case – Legal Perspective
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol sits in the defendant’s seat at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul, Jan. 16. Courtesy of Seoul Central District Court
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s legal team on Monday submitted an appeal against a court ruling that sentenced him to five years in prison on charges that included the obstruction of investigators’ attempt to detain him last year.
Last Friday, the Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence in the first ruling on charges stemming from Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024.
Chief among the charges was that the then president had ordered the Presidential Security Service to block investigators from executing a warrant to detain him at the official presidential residence in January last year.
Immediately after the ruling, Yoon’s lawyers said they would appeal, claiming the court’s decision was “unacceptable” and not based on facts found during the investigation.