Former President Yoon Suk-yeol has decided not to file a constitutional appeal over the obstruction of arrest case in which the Supreme Court affirmed his conviction.
According to legal sources on the 19th, Yoon's side has decided to accept the seven-year prison term handed down by the Supreme Court's Third Division (presiding Justice Lee Suk-yeon) on the 9th for charges including obstruction of special official duties and abuse of authority to obstruct the exercise of rights.
Right after the top court's ruling, Yoon's side had said it would "challenge the unconstitutionality of this decision through constitutional litigation procedures such as a constitutional appeal to protect basic rights guaranteed by the Constitution," but reversed its position in 10 days. It is seen as a judgment that a constitutional appeal would have little practical benefit.
Yoon's side plans to explain in detail why it will not file a constitutional appeal in a statement on the 20th.
This case is the Supreme Court's first ruling on Yoon's case related to the Dec. 3 martial law. Yoon was brought to trial on charges that, just before declaring martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, he convened only some Cabinet members to hinder other members' exercise of deliberative authority, and that in January last year he mobilized the Presidential Security Service to systematically block the execution of arrest and search warrants by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.
In addition to this case, Yoon is currently on trial in seven cases. Four have reached first-instance verdicts: the "insurrection ringleader" case; the Pyongyang drone infiltration (general enemy-benefiting) case; the perjury case in the trial of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo; and the free opinion poll case (violation of the Political Funds Act). He was sentenced, respectively, to life imprisonment, 30 years in prison, acquitted, and two years in prison.