A former Park Geun-hye presidential Cabinet member and secretary have each been sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, for obstructing an investigation into the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking.

The Seoul Eastern District Court on Tuesday handed down the sentences to former presidential chief of staff Lee Byung-kee and former presidential secretary for political affairs Cho Yoon-sun on charges of obstructing the operation of a special probe committee investigating the deadly sinking.

Former fisheries minister Kim Young-suk also received a two year sentence, suspended for three years, and former vice fisheries minister Yoon Hak-bae was sentenced to 18 months behind bars, suspended for two years.

Former presidential secretary for economic affairs Ahn Chong-bum was cleared of charges.

The former officials had been on trial since March last year. The prosecution had sought three years prison time for Lee Byung-kee, Cho Yoon-sun and Kim Young-suk, and two years for Ahn Chong-bum and Yoon Hak-bae.