Seoul, Dec 26 (NationPress) A special counsel team has requested a 10-year prison sentence for ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol due to obstruction of justice and various charges linked to his December 2024 martial law declaration.

During the final proceedings of Yoon's trial at the Seoul Central District Court, special counsel Cho Eun-suk stated that the former president committed a serious offense by 'privatizing' state institutions to cover up and rationalize his illegal actions, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

This request marks the first sentencing recommendation stemming from his four trials concerning martial law-related allegations.

A member of the counsel asserted, 'The defendant's unlawful actions severely undermined law and order in the Republic of Korea and caused substantial harm to the citizens who placed their trust in him.' They noted that instead of expressing remorse or an apology during the trial, Yoon continuously defended the validity of his martial law declaration.

The trial focuses on accusations that Yoon obstructed justice by impeding investigators from detaining him in January, violating the rights of nine Cabinet members excluded from discussions about his martial law strategy, and improperly modifying and destroying a revised proclamation after the decree was rescinded.

Additionally, he faces charges for directing the dissemination of misleading press releases about the martial law and for erasing records from secure devices used by military commanders at the time.

For these charges, the special counsel proposes a total of ten years: five years for obstructing his own detention, three years for violating Cabinet members' rights, distributing falsehoods to foreign media, and destroying phone records, and two years for drafting the revised proclamation.

'To restore the Constitution and uphold legal standards damaged by the defendant, as well as to avert future abuses of power by high-ranking officials in Korea's history, we must demand stringent accountability,' expressed a member of the special counsel.

Yoon is concurrently involved in three other trials related to his unsuccessful martial law declaration, including accusations of leading an insurrection.

The obstruction of justice trial is set to conclude first, with a verdict expected on January 16, just two days before Yoon's arrest period is due to end.

While Yoon's legal team contended that the verdict should be delivered only after the insurrection trial, the judge rejected this argument.

The insurrection trial is anticipated to conclude in early January, potentially leading to a verdict around February.