A South Korean court on Friday sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison, marking the first verdict among multiple criminal cases stemming from his short-lived declaration of martial law that ultimately led to his removal from office. The ruling follows Yoon’s impeachment, arrest and dismissal after his December 2024 decree sparked mass protests and plunged South Korea into its most serious political crisis in decades.
Prosecutors have accused Yoon of attempting to consolidate power through the use of martial law, with the most serious charge alleging rebellion — a case in which an independent counsel has sought the death penalty. The Seoul Central District Court is scheduled to rule on that charge on Feb. 19. In Friday’s decision, the court convicted Yoon of obstructing efforts to detain him, falsifying elements of the martial law proclamation, and bypassing a legally required full Cabinet meeting. The judge said this deprived several ministers of their constitutional right to deliberate on the decree. Delivering the televised ruling, Judge Baek Dae-hyun said a severe sentence was warranted because Yoon has shown no remorse and has repeatedly offered what the court described as implausible justifications for his actions.
The judge added that restoring the rule of law damaged by Yoon’s conduct was a central consideration in sentencing. Yoon has argued that he never intended to impose prolonged military rule, insisting the decree was meant to warn the public about what he described as obstruction by a liberal-controlled parliament. Investigators, however, concluded the move was designed to extend and reinforce his grip on power, charging him with rebellion, abuse of authority and other offenses. Yoon’s legal team said it will appeal the verdict, calling the ruling politicized and accusing the court of accepting the independent counsel’s arguments wholesale. The defense also argued the judgment blurred the line between presidential constitutional authority and criminal liability.
Legal experts say Yoon is unlikely to face the death penalty in the rebellion case. Criminal law specialist Park Sung-bae said the court would more likely impose a life sentence or a lengthy prison term, citing South Korea’s long-standing moratorium on executions and the absence of casualties during the brief martial law episode.
South Korea has a history of pardoning imprisoned former presidents in the name of national reconciliation, including former strongman Chun Doo-hwan, who was once sentenced to death for his role in a coup and the violent suppression of pro-democracy protests. Beyond the rebellion charge, Yoon continues to face several other trials, including allegations that he ordered provocative drone flights over North Korea to justify martial law, interfered in a military investigation, and accepted improper political benefits. Yoon’s declaration on Dec. 3, 2024 — the first imposition of martial law in South Korea in more than four decades — sent troops and police to surround the National Assembly.
Lawmakers ultimately managed to enter the chamber and vote down the decree, preventing large-scale violence but triggering widespread economic, diplomatic and political fallout. Following Yoon’s removal, his liberal rival Lee Jae Myung won a snap election last June and appointed independent counsels to investigate allegations involving Yoon, his wife and close associates.
