Seoul (TDI): A South Korean court on Friday handed former President Yoon Suk Yeol a five-year prison term for obstructing justice and other offenses connected to his controversial martial law declaration last December.
The ruling marks the first of several verdicts expected for Yoon, whose brief suspension of civilian government on December 3, 2024, triggered widespread protests and a fierce standoff in parliament.
Judge Baek Dae-hyun of Seoul’s Central District Court said Yoon had blocked investigators from detaining him and excluded cabinet members from critical martial law planning meetings. “Despite his constitutional duty to uphold the law, the defendant acted in disregard of the Constitution,” Baek said, calling the offenses “extremely grave.”
Yoon was acquitted of charges related to forging official documents due to insufficient evidence. He has seven days to file an appeal. Prosecutors had sought a 10-year sentence, while Yoon maintained that his actions were lawful.
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The sentencing comes shortly after prosecutors in another case urged the court to impose the death penalty, accusing Yoon of leading an insurrection through his martial law decree. They argued he showed no remorse for actions that endangered democracy and constitutional order. While a death sentence remains legally possible, South Korea has observed an unofficial moratorium on executions since 1997.
During the hearing, Yoon argued that his declaration of martial law was within the scope of presidential powers to protect the nation and preserve constitutional order. He also criticized the then-opposition party for what he called an “unconstitutional dictatorship” in the legislature. “There was no choice but to awaken the people, the sovereign of the nation,” Yoon stated.
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The court is expected to deliver its verdict on the insurrection charges on February 19. Yoon also faces a separate trial over allegations that he aided the enemy by ordering drone flights over North Korea as part of his justification for declaring martial law.
