ISTANBUL

South Korea’s ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday was sentenced to five years in prison on charges he obstructed investigators' attempt to detain him last year, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

It marks Yoon's first sentencing in eight cases he is standing trial on, including over charges he led an insurrection through his December 2024 martial law declaration.

A team led by Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk last month sought a 10-year prison sentence, arguing that Yoon committed a "grave crime" by "privatizing" state institutions with the aim of concealing and justifying his criminal acts.

Special prosecutors earlier this week also demanded the death penalty for Yoon over the insurrection charge. A court is set to rule on that case on Feb. 19.

The former president faces a total of eight trials in connection with his martial law attempt, his wife's alleged corruption, and the 2023 death of a marine officer.

Yoon was arrested and indicted last January on charges of leading an insurrection, making him the first sitting president in South Korean history to be taken into custody. He was released in March, rearrested in July, and has remained detained since then.