3-yr prison term finalized for ex-PSS chief for obstructing Yoon's arrest

In a recent ruling, a three-year prison sentence has been confirmed for a former head of the Presidential Security Service (PSS) who obstructed the arrest of former President Yoon Suk Yeol last year, according to legal experts. The Seoul High Court issued the verdict last week. Both Park and prosecutors were given seven days to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, but neither party opted to file an appeal by the Wednesday deadline, leading to the sentence becoming official, sources disclosed.

Park and other former PSS officials were charged with hindering investigators' efforts to enforce an arrest warrant for Yoon at the presidential compound in January 2025 in connection with his declaration of martial law. An initial court had sentenced Park to four years in prison in July; however, the appellate court subsequently reduced his sentence to three years last week.

The court acknowledged that Park did not actively engage in physical altercations with investigators and that his resignation on January 7, 2025, demonstrated a sense of responsibility for the ensuing confusion and discord. Additionally, a two-year prison term was officially confirmed for Lee.