S.KOREA'S EX-PRESIDENT YOON FILES APPEAL IN OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE CASE

SEOUL, Jan 19 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- Former South Korean 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, Yonhap News Agency reported.

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.

At a press conference, Yoon's legal team said the appeal was submitted to the court at 4pm Monday.

The lawyers argued that the court committed procedural errors, noting that it had initially notified them of Friday's date as the final trial hearing but later designated it as the sentencing date without sufficient explanation.

They also claimed that evidence requested by Yoon's side was dismissed without a detailed assessment of its necessity or relevance.

"Given the public interest and historic importance (of the case), the process of demonstration guided by law and conscience should have been more elaborate and thorough," the team said.

The lawyers further hinted at possible legal action against trial divisions dedicated to insurrection-related cases, including those handling Yoon's case.

"There is a debate over the unconstitutionality of the insurrection divisions," one of Yoon's attorneys said. "We plan to review additional legal measures and implement them accordingly."

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP