Ex-South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol Sentenced to Five Years in Prison Over Martial Law Attempt

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday after a court found him guilty of illegally attempting to impose martial law and obstructing law enforcement officials from executing a valid arrest warrant.

The verdict, delivered by the Seoul Central District Court, follows months of investigation into Yoon’s actions while in office and represents the first criminal conviction stemming from his controversial and ultimately failed martial law declaration.

Yoon was arrested last year in a dramatic operation involving more than 3,000 police officers, marking the first time in South Korea’s democratic history that a sitting president was taken into custody during an active criminal probe.

The court found Yoon guilty of using the presidential security service to block police officers from executing a court-issued arrest warrant related to his martial law announcement. Judges ruled that the warrant had been lawfully issued and that Yoon’s interference constituted a serious abuse of executive authority.

In addition to obstructing justice, Yoon was convicted on multiple related charges, including fabricating official documents and failing to follow the constitutional and legal procedures required for the declaration of martial law.

“This ruling represents the first judicial decision connected to the former president’s unlawful attempt to impose martial law,” the court noted, underscoring the gravity of the offenses.

Reading the verdict during televised proceedings, the presiding judge of the three-member panel said, “The defendant abused the enormous authority entrusted to him as president to block the execution of legitimate warrants, effectively converting public officials of the Presidential Security Service into private instruments for his own protection and political survival.”

The judgment also emphasized that Yoon’s actions undermined democratic institutions and the rule of law, principles considered sacrosanct in South Korea following decades of authoritarian rule in the 20th century.

Outside the courtroom, Yoon’s legal team immediately announced plans to challenge the verdict. One of his attorneys, Yoo Jung-hwa, said the former president would file an appeal, calling the ruling politically motivated.

“We deeply regret that this decision was reached in what we believe to be a politicised atmosphere,” Yoo told reporters shortly after the sentencing.

Legal troubles for Yoon may not end with this conviction. Prosecutors are pursuing a separate and more serious case accusing him of masterminding an insurrection by attempting to impose martial law without sufficient legal or constitutional grounds — a charge that could carry far harsher penalties if upheld.

Throughout the investigation, Yoon has defended his actions, arguing that he possessed the constitutional authority as president to declare martial law and claiming the move was intended to highlight what he described as obstructionist tactics by opposition parties against his administration.

However, South Korea’s Constitutional Court rejected that argument last year. In April, the court unanimously removed Yoon from office, ruling that his actions violated the fundamental duties of the presidency and posed a direct threat to democratic governance.

Friday’s sentencing marks a dramatic fall for a leader once elected on promises of restoring order and integrity to government, and it reinforces South Korea’s reputation for holding even its highest officeholders accountable under the law.