Executive Summary
- The Seoul Central District Court set January 16 as the sentencing date for former President Yoon Suk Yeol regarding obstruction charges.
- The court rejected Yoon’s request to delay the verdict until his separate insurrection trial concludes.
- This ruling will be the first judgment among four criminal cases filed against Yoon related to the December 3 martial law decree.
- An associate of the former First Lady admitted in court to allegedly transferring 300 million won to her accounts.
The Seoul Central District Court has scheduled the first sentencing hearing for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for January 16, marking a significant milestone in the legal proceedings following the December 3 emergency martial law declaration. The ruling will address charges of obstruction of official duties, making it the first of four related trials against the former leader to reach a conclusion.
Judge Baek Dae-hyun of Criminal Division 35 announced the schedule during a trial session, confirming that closing arguments are expected to conclude by December 26. This specific case involves allegations brought by a special counsel, charging Yoon with obstructing the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials from executing an arrest warrant and infringing upon the deliberation rights of State Council members during the martial law decree.
During the proceedings, the former president requested a postponement of the sentencing, arguing that the outcome of the primary insurrection trial should precede this ruling. Yoon contended that if the martial law declaration is not legally deemed an insurrection, the secondary charges regarding State Council rights would naturally fail. However, the court rejected this request, stating, "Whether the declaration of martial law itself is an insurrection or illegal is not the issue in this case." The bench affirmed it would render judgment strictly based on the facts presented in the current indictment.
In related legal developments involving the former first family, Lee Jong-ho, the former representative of Blackpearl Invest, made a new claim during his own sentencing hearing at the Seoul Central District Court. Lee, who faces a recommended four-year prison sentence for violating the Attorney Act, alleged he provided 300 million won in checks to former First Lady Kim Keon-hee following an earlier investment loan. Separately, Kim's mother, Choi Eun-soon, has pledged to pay approximately 1.3 billion won—half of her delinquent penalties—to halt a public auction of her seized real estate assets in Seongnam City.
Judicial Timeline and Procedural Precedent
The decision to proceed with sentencing in the obstruction case independently of the broader insurrection trial establishes a critical procedural precedent for the complex litigation surrounding the former administration. By severing the timeline of this specific indictment from the constitutional questions of the martial law declaration, the judiciary has signaled an intent to adjudicate distinct charges on their own evidentiary merits. This strategy may expedite specific rulings while the more exhaustive trials concerning treason and perjury continue to move through the legal system. It is important to note that all individuals named in these proceedings are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
