Another former South Korean head of state is going to prison. Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to five years in prison. The decision has left some divided. The prison term seems to lenient for an abuse of power case. An objection to a harsher punishment could come off as criminalizing a figure for political reasons. To a degree, this demonstrates that not even a head of state is above the law. The negative consequence is South Koreans lose trust in their government. The Sor outh Korean presidency has been damaged by scandals and criminal activity. Imposing martial law could have resulted in South Korea reverting to an authoritarian political system. Prosecutors were seeking the death penalty for the case. Yoon was found guilty for obstructing justice, the falsification of documents, and abuse of power. These charges should be punishable by prison, not capital punishment. It would be a mistake to execute a former head of state, when the martial law declaration did not result in deaths. The trials and the prison sentence will damage the the People's Party Power. The PPP may not be able to recover from the actions of President Yeol. South Korean conservatism is becoming linked with crime and corruption. The void left by the PPP allows more extremist elements to become prominent. Yoon Suk Yeol does have a path to avoid serving prison time. Getting a pardon , commuting the sentence, or appealing the decision are options. These paths are only available if a conservative government is elected.
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