South Korea’s ex-president Yoon sentenced to five years in prison over failed martial law bid
South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to five years in prison, marking the first verdict in a series of trials linked to his short-lived declaration of martial law in December 2024.
The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon guilty of abusing his power, blocking investigators from arresting him, falsifying official documents and bypassing the legal process required to impose martial law, which must include a full cabinet meeting. The decree lasted only about six hours but threw the country into chaos, as lawmakers rushed to parliament to overturn it and mass protests erupted nationwide.
Handing down the ruling on Friday, the court said Yoon had failed in his most basic duty as president. One judge said he had “plunged the country into political crisis” and had “consistently shown no remorse”. Another added that Yoon’s actions showed he had turned away from the constitution and the rule of law, calling his responsibility “extremely grave”.
Prosecutors had asked for a 10-year sentence, but the court settled on five years. Yoon has seven days to appeal. His lawyer, Yoo Jung-hwa, confirmed that an appeal will be filed, saying: “We express regret that the decision was made in a politicised manner.”
Yoon has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, arguing that declaring martial law was within his presidential powers and was meant to warn against what he claimed was obstruction by an opposition-controlled parliament. He has also insisted investigators had no legal basis to arrest him.
The charges relate to events that followed the decree, including Yoon’s use of the presidential security service to block authorities from executing an arrest warrant and the creation — and later destruction — of a document falsely claiming the move had been approved by senior ministers. Judges said this amounted to using loyal state officials for personal protection.
Friday’s ruling is widely seen as a signal of how Yoon’s remaining cases could unfold. He still faces an insurrection trial, the most serious of all, in which prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. That verdict is expected in February.
Outside the courthouse, around 100 of Yoon’s supporters gathered to watch the verdict on a large screen. Some waved banners reading “Yoon, again! Make Korea great again”, with a few shouting at the judge as the sentence was read out. Others stood silently. Despite his removal from office, Yoon retains a loyal base, and surveys suggest nearly 30% of South Koreans do not believe his martial law declaration amounted to insurrection.
Yoon was impeached shortly after the incident and formally removed from office by the Constitutional Court in April. Six months later, voters elected opposition leader Lee Jae Myung in a decisive victory. Still, the former president’s legal battles have reopened deep political divides in a country long seen as one of Asia’s most stable democracies.
