A South Korean court handed former president Yoon Suk Yeol a seven-year prison sentence on multiple charges, capping a dramatic political collapse that began with his short-lived imposition of martial law and ended with him in court answering to a list of indictments.
The conviction includes counts related to resisting arrest among other charges. The former president had pleaded not guilty across the board; his legal team has already signaled that an appeal will be filed promptly.
Outside the courthouse, supporters and opponents staged competing rallies that kept police on alert through the morning. Reactions inside the country split along the same political fault lines that have run through the case from day one.
Diplomatically, Seoul is keen to show the world that the institutions held. South Korean officials emphasized that the verdict — appeals notwithstanding — demonstrated the strength of the country's judicial process. International reaction was cautious and largely deferential.
