In a stunning development that has gripped South Korea, former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday by the Seoul Central District Court. The verdict marks the first major legal blow against the ex-leader in a series of high-stakes trials stemming from his controversial actions last year.
Yoon’s troubles began intensifying after he imposed martial law during his tenure in December 2024, a move that sparked nationwide outrage and swift political backlash. Prosecutors accused him of obstructing an investigation aimed at detaining him, alleging he misused state power to shield himself from accountability.
The special prosecutor’s team had sought a 10-year sentence, but the court halved that demand, finding Yoon guilty on most counts. Judge Baek Dae-hyun meticulously outlined the charges, including ordering the Presidential Security Service to block investigators executing a detention warrant in January last year. He was also convicted of violating the rights of nine cabinet members by excluding them from key meetings reviewing his martial law blueprint.
Further allegations included drafting and later destroying a revised martial law announcement after its initial lift, distributing false press statements, and commanding the deletion of records from secure phones used by military commanders at the time. The judge acquitted him only on two cabinet member rights violations and the false press directive.
This ruling underscores the court’s view that high-ranking officials, including the president, must operate within legal bounds during corruption probes. As South Korea grapples with the fallout, eyes are now on February 19, when the court will decide on rebellion charges where prosecutors demand the death penalty.
Yoon faces eight ongoing trials, encompassing his martial law bid, his wife’s alleged graft, and a 2023 marine death scandal. This sentencing, broadcast live like those of predecessors Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak in 2018, reinforces a pattern of accountability for South Korea’s fallen leaders.