A South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison, finding him guilty of abuse of power and other charges linked to his controversial attempt to impose martial law in 2024.
Court Finds Guilt in Martial Law Declaration
The Seoul Central District Court delivered its verdict on Friday, 16 January 2026. The court found Yoon guilty of obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant connected to his martial law declaration in December 2024. He was also convicted on charges of fabricating official documents and failing to follow the proper legal process for declaring martial law.
This marks the first guilty verdict against the former president across eight separate criminal trials concerning the 2024 decree and other allegations. The most severe charge he still faces is leading a rebellion in connection with the martial law enforcement, which carries a potential death penalty.
Dramatic Arrest and Political Fallout
Yoon evaded arrest for several weeks by barricading himself inside his residential compound, protected by hundreds of loyal Presidential Security Service agents. His detention finally came during a pre-dawn raid where security forces pushed past bus barricades, cut through barbed wire, and used ladders to enter the grounds.
Yoon later claimed he cooperated with the arrest to prevent "bloodshed." He is currently being held at the Seoul Detention Centre and has not yet made a public statement regarding the sentencing.
His defence team had previously argued that an independent counsel's demand for a 10-year sentence was politically motivated and lacked legal foundation. Yoon maintains that his decree was only intended to warn the public about a liberal-controlled parliament obstructing his agenda, not to establish prolonged military rule. However, investigators viewed it as an attempt to consolidate and extend his power.
Impeachment and Removal from Office
The short-lived imposition of martial law triggered massive public protests demanding Yoon's removal. Parliament, including some members of his own conservative party, voted to overturn the decree within hours, leading to his impeachment and the suspension of his presidential powers.
Yoon was formally removed from office in April 2025 after the Constitutional Court ruled he had violated the duties of his office. The court's latest prison sentence adds a significant legal consequence to his dramatic political downfall.
