Former President Yoon Suk Yeol sentenced to five years for obstruction charges, other cases still pending
Published: 16 Jan. 2026, 16:08
![Former President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during his final statement in court at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Jan. 14. [SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT COURT]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/16/3a8b0134-68b1-429d-adab-a77fb25b8015.jpg)
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during his final statement in court at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Jan. 14. [SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT COURT]
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday for charges including obstruction of arrest related to the Dec. 3, 2024, martial law declaration. The verdict came 145 days after the first preparatory hearing was held on Aug. 19 last year.
This marks the conclusion of the first trial among the four insurrection-related cases against the former president. However, Yoon still faces a total of seven more trials and rulings ahead.
Starting next week, he is expected to appear in court once or twice a week as new hearings begin.
Three of the pending cases are related to the Dec. 3, 2024 martial law declaration. In the most serious of these — in which Yoon faces the death penalty on charges of leading an insurrection — five hearings were held even during the court’s winter recess between Dec. 29 last year to Jan. 9, and a verdict is scheduled for Feb. 19.
The second hearing for the foreign collusion-related case involving the so-called Pyongyang drone infiltration operation is scheduled for next Monday. The first hearing ended in three hours after Yoon filed a motion to recuse the judges. He later withdrew the motion that same evening, and the court panel remained unchanged.
![Former President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during his final statement in court at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Jan. 14. [SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT COURT]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/16/edcb3fe5-d59b-429c-9ba9-407b5169d71c.jpg)
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during his final statement in court at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Jan. 14. [SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT COURT]
A preparatory hearing for the perjury case related to former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's trial is set for next Wednesday.
In the case brought by the special counsel investigating former first lady Kim Keon Hee, Yoon is accused of accepting dozens of free public opinion polls from self-proclaimed political broker Myung Tae-kyun — which would be a violation of the Political Funds Act. The first preparatory hearing is scheduled for Jan. 27.
A trial for allegedly spreading false information during the 2022 presidential election — a possible violation of the Public Official Election Act — has not yet been scheduled.
![People watch a news broadcast showing former President Yoon Suk Yeol's being sentenced to five years in prison for charges including obstruction of arrest, at Seoul Station in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Jan. 16. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/16/f76b62c6-1a78-4a10-b647-d89b68a9004d.jpg)
People watch a news broadcast showing former President Yoon Suk Yeol's being sentenced to five years in prison for charges including obstruction of arrest, at Seoul Station in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Jan. 16. [NEWS1]
In February, two trials brought by the special counsel probing the Marine Corps will also begin. The case concerning the alleged abuse of power in the suppression of an investigation into the 2023 death of a Marine is set to open on Feb. 3, while the trial involving the alleged escape of former Ambassador to Australia Lee Jong-sup is scheduled for Feb. 11.
If the judiciary undergoes its regular personnel reshuffle on Feb. 23, the trials may need to be restarted under the new panels. Under the special counsel law, a first-instance verdict must be reached within six months of indictment, so rulings are expected by the first half of the year at the latest.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM BO-REUM [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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