Political Circles and Civic Groups:
"Sentence Falls Short for Grave Crime of Undermining Constitutional Order"
On the 16th, the first trial sentencing hearing for former President Yoon Seok-yeol, who was indicted on charges including obstruction of arrest by the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (HOCI), was broadcast live on TV from the waiting room at Seoul Station. On that day, the court sentenced former President Yoon to five years in prison. Yonhap News
In response to former President Yoon Seokyeol being sentenced to five years in prison in the first trial for charges including mobilizing security staff to obstruct the execution of an arrest warrant by the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency, political circles and civic groups in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province have unanimously stated that "punishment alone is not enough."
On January 16, National Assemblyman Moon Geumju (Goheung, Boseong, Jangheung, and Gangjin in South Jeolla Province) wrote on his Facebook, "The five-year prison sentence for Yoon Seokyeol is significant in that the judiciary has, for the first time, held someone accountable for abusing power in an attempt to place themselves above the Constitution." However, he added, "Even though this is a historic ruling that officially confirmed the illegality of the 12·3 illegal martial law declaration, the sentence is by no means sufficient punishment."
Assemblyman Moon continued, "For a president to abandon their constitutional duty and physically obstruct the lawful execution of an arrest warrant by mobilizing state power is a grave crime that shakes the foundation of a democratic republic. Although the court itself judged that 'the nature of the crime is poor and there is no remorse,' the sentence, which is only half of the prosecution's recommendation, does not meet the expectations of the public."
On the same day, National Assemblywoman Jeon Jinsook (Buk-gu, Gwangju) also posted on Facebook, "This verdict, which is only half of the 10-year sentence requested by the prosecution, is woefully inadequate compared to the severity of the crime that undermined the foundation of the nation. Since today's ruling addresses only a portion of the massive crime of insurrection, a second special investigation is needed to identify the organized accomplices and those behind the scenes."
Civic groups in the Gwangju area also expressed strong regret. Ki Woosik, Secretary General of the Gwangju Civic Organization Council, stated, "The act of mobilizing state power and security personnel to obstruct an arrest was essentially tantamount to privatizing the military and represented a decisive moment threatening democracy. Considering the danger and gravity of the act, even a 10-year sentence would not be excessive, so it is difficult to accept a verdict that is only half of that."
Yoon Mokhyun, Chairman of the May 18 Memorial Foundation, also issued a statement, saying, "It is appropriate that the judiciary recognized the violation of the rule of law as a crime, but the five-year prison sentence is grossly insufficient in light of the gravity of destroying constitutional order and privatizing state institutions, when measured against the public's sense of justice and constitutional principles."
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