A South Korean court on Friday sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison for obstruction of justice and other offences related to his brief declaration of martial law in December 2024.
The verdict, handed down by Judge Baek Dae-hyun at Seoul’s Central District Court, marks the first in a series of legal proceedings against Yoon, whose suspension of civilian rule sparked mass protests and a parliamentary showdown.
Judge Baek found Yoon guilty of obstructing investigators from detaining him and excluding cabinet members from a key martial law planning meeting. “Despite having a duty, above all others, to uphold the Constitution and observe the rule of law as president, the defendant instead displayed an attitude that disregarded the… Constitution,” the judge said, describing Yoon’s culpability as “extremely grave.”
However, Yoon was acquitted of forging official documents due to insufficient evidence. He has seven days to file an appeal. Prosecutors had sought a 10-year prison term, while Yoon maintained that he had broken no law.
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The ruling comes amid separate proceedings in which prosecutors have demanded the death penalty for Yoon, accusing him of being the “ringleader of an insurrection” for imposing martial law. Experts note that even if convicted, the death sentence is unlikely to be carried out, as South Korea has maintained an unofficial moratorium on executions since 1997.
During the hearing, Yoon remained defiant, insisting that his martial law declaration was a lawful exercise of presidential authority to protect the nation and uphold constitutional order. He also accused the opposition of creating an “unconstitutional dictatorship” through their legislative control.
The court is scheduled to deliver a ruling on the insurrection charges on February 19. Yoon is also facing a separate trial for allegedly aiding the enemy, including accusations that he ordered drone flights over North Korea to justify his martial law actions.