Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol sentenced to Five Years Over Martial Law Case

A South Korean court on Friday sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison in the first ruling connected to his failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.

The Seoul Central District Court found the 65-year-old former prosecutor guilty of obstructing law enforcement by deploying the presidential security service to prevent authorities from arresting him during an investigation into his martial law declaration.

The court ruled that Yoon misused his authority by instructing security officials to block the execution of a lawful arrest warrant.

In a televised verdict, the three-judge panel also convicted Yoon of fabricating official documents and bypassing the constitutional requirement that any declaration of martial law be deliberated at a formal cabinet meeting.

“The defendant abused the immense power of the presidency to interfere with the execution of legitimate warrants, effectively turning public officials into a private security force for personal protection,” the presiding judge said while delivering the judgment.

Yoon, who appeared noticeably thinner and with greying hair, listened quietly as the sentence was announced. He showed no visible reaction in the packed courtroom, which included many of his supporters.

Outside the courthouse, Yoon’s lawyer, Yoo Jung-hwa, criticised the ruling and confirmed that the former president would appeal. “We regret that this decision reflects political considerations,” she said.

Prosecutors declined to comment on whether they would file an appeal, although South Korean law allows them to do so. The ruling marks the first court decision in a series of criminal cases Yoon faces following his short-lived martial law attempt.

In a separate proceeding, prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, accusing him of orchestrating an insurrection by attempting to suspend parliament and impose military rule without legal justification.

Yoon, who is currently detained at the Seoul Detention Center, has defended his actions, arguing that the declaration of martial law fell within his presidential powers and was intended to warn against what he described as obstruction by opposition lawmakers.

Ahead of the verdict, dozens of supporters gathered outside the court holding placards describing Yoon as the victim of a political witch hunt. Police maintained a heavy presence around the courthouse, located near Yoon’s upscale residence in central Seoul.

The former president had faced a possible prison term of up to 10 years for the obstruction charges linked to his decision to barricade himself inside his residential compound last January and order security personnel to block investigators.