US EditionSouth Korea's ex-president Yoon given 5-year jail term in first ruling over martial law
Yoon Suk Yeol was convicted of obstructing arrest and abusing power during his short martial law decree; prosecutors seek death penalty in related insurrection charge, court said.
- On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison for charges tied to his late-2024 martial law decree, marking the first verdict in eight related trials.
- Yoon's Dec. 3, 2024 martial law declaration was nullified after about six hours by the National Assembly, sparking protests by the South Korean public and leading to his impeachment and removal.
- The court found that Yoon had obstructed an arrest warrant, excluded seven ministers from cabinet meetings, and fabricated then destroyed a martial‑law related document.
- One of Yoon's lawyers, Yoo Jung‑hwa, said the former president would appeal and both sides have seven days to do so, while Yoon faces seven more trials with the next sentencing on Feb. 19, as about 100 supporters gathered outside the courthouse on Friday.
- Prosecutors under special counsel Cho Eun‑seok had sought a combined 10‑year term and the death penalty for the insurrection charge, arguing Yoon privatized state institutions and tarnished national dignity.
232 Articles
232 Articles
A South Korean court sentences Yoon to 5 years in prison in first of 8 trials related to martial law decree
An independent counsel has requested the death sentence over the charge that his martial law enforcement amounted to a rebellion, and the Seoul Central District Court will decide on that in a ruling on Feb. 19.
South Korea’s ex-president sentenced to five years in prison
South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to five years in prison. The sentencing relates in large part to Yoon’s extraordinary efforts to resist being taken into custody for weeks after his impeachment. His own security staff were eventually outmatched by thousands of police, in January last year. In the course of a crazy few hours in December 2024, Yoon tried and failed to seize control from parliament, declaring martial …
He was convicted of obstruction of justice and abuse of power for his failed attempt to introduce martial law.
South Korea’s former president sentenced to five years over martial law charges
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to five years in prison for abuse of power, obstructing justice, and falsifying official documents linked to his 2024 martial law attempt. The Seoul court ruling, delivered on Friday, marks the first conviction in a series of ongoing trials. Prosecutors had requested a 10-year sentence. Both sides have seven days to appeal.
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