Name: Five years jail for South Koreas Yoon in first martial law penalty
Uploaded: 2026-01-16T14:29:38.442Z
Duration: 1 min 43 s
Description: A South Korean court on Friday (January 16) sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison on charges that included obstructing attempts by authorities to arrest him following his failed bid to impose martial law in December 2024.

A South Korean court on Friday (January 16) sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison on charges that included obstructing attempts by authorities to arrest him following his failed bid to impose martial law in December 2024.

Seoul

Former South Korean President Yun Suk-kyo received a five-year prison sentence after being found guilty of abusing presidential security services and attempting to impose martial law in 2024. The Seoul Central District Court ruled that Yun used his position for personal safety and gain, and failed to follow legal procedures required for declaring martial law.

Yun was also convicted of faking official documents and obstructing his arrest. His lawyer announced plans to appeal, arguing the trial was politicized. Prosecutors have requested the death penalty for Yun in a separate trial related to alleged insurrection charges.

Five years' jail for South Korea's Yoon in first martial law penalty

Former South Korean President Yun Suk-kyo was given a five-year prison term on Friday in the first court ruling over his failed attempt in 2024 to impose martial law. The 65-year-old was taken to the Seoul Central District Court in a correctional services bus from a detention center on the outskirts of the capital. Some supporters cheered for him outside the courthouse, while others packed the courtroom for the verdict. A three-judge panel found Yun guilty of using presidential security services to block attempts by authorities to arrest him. The court said it was an abuse of power that quote, effectively privatized officials loyal to the Republic of Korea for personal safety and personal gain. Yun was also found guilty of faking official documents and failing to follow the legal process required for martial law, which has to be discussed at a formal cabinet meeting. Outside the court, one of Yun's lawyers said the former president would appeal. Yoo Jong-hwa called the trial politicized, saying that the verdict overly simplifies the boundary between the president's exercise of constitutional authority and criminal liability. Yun could have faced up to 10 years in prison over the obstruction charges. The then-president had barricaded himself inside his residential compound in January last year and ordered the security service to block investigators from arresting him. He was later arrested in a second attempt involving more than 3,000 police officers. Prosecutors have asked the court in a separate trial to sentence Yun to death for masterminding an insurrection. Yun has argued it was within his powers as president to declare martial law.

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