Trump found guilty of 'muzzling sex scandal'...The 'Criminal President' was inaugurated in disgrace.

[Anchor]
A U.S. court convicted Trump in connection with his "Sex scandal gag payment" case and sentenced him to "unconditional release" without actual punishment.

Trump took office with the disgrace of being the first president in U.S. history to be sentenced to a "heavy crime."

I'm correspondent Lee Seung-yoon from New York.

[Reporter]
Trump was found guilty of handing over money to a former adult film actor and manipulating accounting records to prevent revelations of alleged sexual intercourse.

The Manhattan Criminal Court, a first trial court in New York State, sentenced Trump to "unconditional release," a conviction but not punishment.

Judge Juan Merchant formalizes the jury's "guilty verdict" as a "guilty verdict," but says it has considered legal protections for the president.

[Judge Juan Merchant / Manhattan Criminal Court] What's special is not the person who holds the presidency of the United States (Trump), but the legal protections given to that position.]

The suspension of prison sentences as well as fines are interpreted as a political consideration not to make the U.S. president a punished "convict."

The prosecution also agreed with the court's explanation that it is to implement judicial justice but not to interfere with the performance of his duties as president-elect.

[Alvin Bragg / Manhattan District Attorney, New York: Jury verdicts are sacredly prioritized and must be upheld as part of the rule of law, but they also recognize the importance of the presidency.]

Trump has called the trial a "political witch hunt" and has pleaded not guilty, and has refused to admit allegations that he had sex with a former adult movie star.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President-elect] It's a disgrace. The judge is not the one who should be in charge of this case. It's an attack on the Republican candidate who won the presidential election.

Trump's side has continued various court battles to prevent the first trial from being sentenced before the president's inauguration.

With the ruling, Trump will begin his term in office on the 20th with a scarlet letter saying he is the first president in U.S. history to be convicted of a felony.

I'm YTN's Lee Seungyoon from New York.