POSSIBLE APPEALS?
Meanwhile, history suggests the legal battle may not be over.
South Korea has a precedent of former presidents receiving heavy sentences only for them to be reduced or pardoned later.
Former military ruler Chun Doo-hwan was sentenced to death in 1996 for his role in the 1979 coup and the violent suppression of pro-democracy protests. His successor Roh Tae-woo also received a lengthy prison term.
Both sentences were later reduced on appeal, and the two men were pardoned in 1997 in what was described at the time as a move for national unity.
More recently, former President Park Geun-hye was released early in 2021 from a 20-year prison term for corruption and other crimes, and later pardoned. Her predecessor Lee Myung-bak, also jailed for corruption, was pardoned by Yoon in 2022.
“So, it’s not unlikely that Yoon, further down the line, seeks to appeal (his sentence) and faces a similar outcome,” said Howell.
However, he added that any reduction or pardon may not come soon. Current President Lee Jae Myung, who was defeated by Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, has vowed “strict accountability” for perpetrators of the martial law.
