A Seoul court was set to rule Friday on former President Yoon Suk Yeol's charges of helping a former defense minister evade a criminal investigation by appointing him as ambassador to Australia in 2023. The Seoul Central District Court was scheduled to hand down its ruling for Yoon's trial on charges of aiding a criminal's flight and abuse of power at 2 p.m. Special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon's team has sought a five-year prison sentence for Yoon. Yoon is accused of ordering the appointment of former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup as ambassador to Australia in November 2023 to help him evade an investigation into the alleged cover-up of a Marine's death earlier that year. The special counsel team suspects the former president tried to send Lee, a key suspect in the cover-up case, abroad to prevent the investigation from reaching him as well. The former defense minister left for Australia in March 2024 but returned only days after due to the controversy. The special counsel team also recommended three-year prison terms for former National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong and former Justice Minist