A South Korean court on Friday sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison over charges linked to his failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.
The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon guilty of obstructing law enforcement after he mobilised the presidential security service to prevent authorities from executing an arrest warrant against him. The court also ruled that he fabricated official documents and failed to follow the constitutionally required process for declaring martial law, which mandates deliberation at a formal cabinet meeting.
The ruling marks the first judgment in a series of criminal cases arising from Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration, which lasted about six hours but triggered widespread political upheaval across South Korea.
In delivering the verdict, the presiding judge said Yoon abused his presidential authority by deploying state security officials to block lawful warrants, effectively using public servants loyal to the Republic of Korea for his personal protection and benefit.
Yoon, now 65, showed no visible reaction as the sentence was read in a courtroom packed with supporters. His legal team immediately announced plans to appeal, describing the judgment as politically motivated.
Prosecutors declined to confirm whether they would challenge the sentence. In a separate ongoing case, they are seeking the death penalty, accusing Yoon of masterminding an insurrection by attempting to impose military rule without legal justification and suspend parliament.
Currently held at the Seoul Detention Center, Yoon has argued that the declaration of martial law fell within his constitutional powers and said it was intended to draw attention to what he described as obstruction of governance by opposition parties.
Outside the courthouse, a small group of supporters gathered under heavy police presence, holding placards claiming Yoon was the victim of a political witch hunt and insisting he remained the legitimate president.
Yoon could have faced up to 10 years in prison on the obstruction charges alone. He was eventually arrested after a second operation involving more than 3,000 police officers, becoming the first sitting president in South Korea’s history to be taken into custody.
Following the declaration, parliament swiftly voted to overturn the martial law order, with support from members of Yoon’s own party. He was later impeached and formally removed from office by the Constitutional Court, which ruled that he had violated his constitutional duties.
Though brief, Yoon’s attempt to impose martial law severely shook confidence in South Korea’s democracy, adding his name to the list of former leaders who have faced conviction and imprisonment, reinforcing the country’s tradition of holding even its highest officials accountable under the law.
