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Yoon Suk Yeol Awaits Sentencing Recommendation as Verdict Set for Jan 16

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Seoul Court Schedules Sentencing Recommendation Hearing Yoon will hear the sentencing recommendation at Seoul Central District Court. The hearing follows final testimony from former cabinet members and the special counsel’s final opinion in the afternoon. Closing arguments and Yoon’s final statement are also slated for the same session. [1]

Obstruction of Justice Charges Detail Prosecutors’ Allegations Prosecutors allege Yoon obstructed investigators by blocking detention of officials. They claim he violated rights of nine cabinet members who were not summoned to review the martial‑law plan. They also accuse him of drafting and destroying a revised proclamation after the decree was lifted. [1]

Verdict Timing Linked to Arrest Window The judge rejected the defense’s request to postpone the verdict until the insurrection case concludes. A verdict is expected on January 16, two days before the legal window for Yoon’s arrest expires. This timing could pressure the court to finalize the obstruction case before other trials proceed. [1]

Additional Martial‑Law Trials Remain Ongoing Yoon faces three other prosecutions tied to the failed martial‑law bid, including an insurrection trial. The insurrection case is projected to finish in early January, with a possible verdict in February if the schedule holds. The outcomes of these parallel trials could influence sentencing recommendations in the obstruction case. [1]

Sources

Timeline

Dec 2024 – Former President Yoon Suk Yeol issues a short‑lived declaration of martial law, later lifting the decree and allegedly drafting then destroying a revised proclamation, actions that become the basis of multiple criminal charges [4].

July 17, 2025 – Special counsel Cho Eun‑suk files indictments charging Yoon with obstruction of justice, violating the rights of nine Cabinet members by excluding them from a review meeting, drafting and destroying a revised proclamation, and ordering the deletion of secure phone records tied to the December 2024 martial‑law episode [2][3][4].

Dec 15, 2025 – The Seoul Central District Court announces it will deliver a verdict on the obstruction‑of‑justice case on Jan 16, 2026, and schedules the sentencing hearing for that date, noting the trial must conclude before the arrest‑window expires [4].

Dec 15, 2025 – The presiding judge rejects Yoon’s request to postpone the obstruction verdict until the separate insurrection trial finishes, deeming the two cases unrelated [3].

Dec 16, 2025 – Court officials confirm the Jan 16, 2026 verdict deadline, citing the six‑month limit from the July 2025 indictment, and outline that the insurrection and abuse‑of‑power trial will wrap up in early Jan 2026 with its own verdict expected in Feb 2026 [2].

Dec 25, 2025 – The court sets the final stage of the obstruction trial, with the special counsel presenting its final opinion, followed by closing arguments and Yoon’s final statement; the judge expects to issue the verdict on Jan 16, 2026, two days before the legal window for arrest closes [1].

Early Jan 2026 – The separate insurrection and abuse‑of‑power trial is slated to conclude, paving the way for its February verdict [1][2].

Jan 16, 2026 – The Seoul Central District Court delivers its verdict on Yoon’s obstruction‑of‑justice charge, concluding the first of four linked martial‑law trials [2][3][4].

Feb 2026 – The court is expected to render a verdict in the insurrection and abuse‑of‑power case, completing the legal proceedings stemming from the December 2024 martial‑law declaration [1][2].

(Quote, July 2025) – Yoon asserts, “A president’s declaration of martial law is not subject to judicial review. If the insurrection ruling says it did not constitute an insurrection, the president’s judgment must be respected, removing the basis for a violation of the right to review at a Cabinet meeting,” emphasizing his legal defense of the decree [2].

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