South Korea’s Ex-President Yoon handed five-year jail term in first Martial Law ruling

A South Korean court on Friday, January 16 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 by mobilizing 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 legally required process for declaring martial law, which must be deliberated at a formal cabinet meeting.

The judgment marks the first ruling in a series of criminal cases stemming from Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration, which lasted about six hours but sent shockwaves through South Korea’s political system.

In delivering the verdict, the lead judge said Yoon abused his authority as president by using state security officials to block lawful warrants, effectively placing public servants loyal to the Republic of Korea at his personal disposal for his own protection and benefit.

Yoon, now 65, listened quietly as the sentence was read, showing no visible reaction in a courtroom filled with supporters. His legal team immediately announced plans to appeal, describing the ruling as politicized.

Prosecutors declined to say 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.

Yoon, who is being held at the Seoul Detention Center, has argued that declaring martial law fell within his constitutional powers and said the move 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 security, 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, making him the first sitting president in South Korea’s history to be taken into custody.

Following the declaration of martial law, parliament swiftly voted to overturn the decree, with support from some 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 shook confidence in South Korea’s democracy. He now joins a long list of former South Korean leaders who have been convicted and imprisoned, underscoring the country’s history of holding even its highest officials accountable under the law.