S.Korean special counsel files appeal against ex-president Yoon's obstruction of arrest verdict

SEOUL - South Korean special counsel on Thursday filed an appeal against the first-instance verdict in an obstruction of arrest case that sentenced former President Yoon Suk-yeol to five years in prison, challenging both the acquittal and the sentencing on some charges.

The team of Cho Eun-suk, an independent counsel who led investigations into Yoon's insurrection and other charges, said it filed an appeal challenging the court's acquittal on some of the charges, including Yoon's alleged orders to distribute false press statements. The team had demanded a 10-year prison term.

The team's move follows an appeal filed by Yoon's legal team on Monday, alleging procedural irregularities by the court and the improper dismissal of evidence they sought to introduce during the trial.

Yonhap News Agency reported that the most serious allegation was that the then president had instructed the presidential security service to prevent investigators from carrying out a warrant to detain him at the official presidential residence in January of last year.

Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence of five years in prison in the first ruling on Yoon's arrest obstruction charges stemming from a martial law attempt, live footage showed last Friday.

The first-instance sentencing for Yoon's insurrection charges was scheduled for Feb 19. The special counsel sought a death penalty for Yoon on the charges.

The emergency martial law was declared by Yoon on the night of Dec 3 in 2024, but it was revoked hours later by the National Assembly.

Yoon was indicted under detention last January as a suspected ringleader of the insurrection, becoming the first sitting president to be arrested and indicted.

The constitutional court upheld a motion to impeach Yoon in April last year, officially removing him from office.