Prosecutors in the Republic of Korea (ROK) have demanded a decade-long prison term for former President Yoon Suk-yeol, marking a dramatic escalation in the legal saga surrounding his alleged obstruction of justice. The Seoul Central District Court is set to deliver its verdict on January 16, 2026, following charges that include interfering with arrest warrant execution and destroying encrypted communications.
Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk's investigation revealed that presidential security personnel created human barricades and deployed buses to block corruption investigators from entering the presidential residence in January 2025. This occurred during attempts by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) to detain Yoon over alleged martial law-related misconduct.
The constitutional court's April 2025 impeachment ruling – triggered by Yoon's controversial December 2024 martial law proposal – now forms crucial context for the criminal proceedings. Additional charges include the deletion of sensitive phone records and dissemination of false official statements.
