FORMER South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to five years in prison Friday, marking the first verdict in a series of eight criminal trials linked to his abrupt imposition of martial law in December 2024 and other allegations of misconduct.
Yoon, who was impeached, arrested, and removed from office following mass public protests against his short-lived martial law decree, faces multiple charges including rebellion, abuse of power, and other criminal offences.
AP reported on Friday that the most serious charge contends that his actions during the martial law episode amounted to rebellion, with the independent counsel requesting the death penalty in the primary case, which is expected to be decided next month.
Yoon has maintained that his decree was never intended to place the country under prolonged military rule, claiming it was meant merely to alert the public to the perceived obstruction of his agenda by the liberal-controlled parliament. Investigators, however, interpreted the decree as an attempt to strengthen and extend his rule.
In Friday’s ruling, the Seoul Central District Court found Yoon guilty of defying attempts to detain him, fabricating the martial law proclamation, and bypassing a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting, thereby depriving certain Cabinet members of their right to deliberate on the decree.
Judge Baek Dae-hyun, delivering the televised ruling, said that “a grave punishment” was necessary because Yoon had shown no remorse, instead repeating “hard-to-comprehend excuses.” The judge added that restoring the legal systems damaged by Yoon’s actions was a key consideration.
Yoon’s defence team announced plans to appeal the verdict, arguing that it was “politicised” and reflected “the unliberal arguments by the independent counsel.” They further contended that the court “oversimplified the boundary between the exercise of the president’s constitutional powers and criminal liability.”
Legal experts predict that even in the primary rebellion trial, a death sentence is unlikely. Criminal lawyer Park SungBae noted that South Korea has maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since 1997, and courts rarely issue capital punishment.
He suggested that a life sentence or a prison term of 30 years or more is more probable, given that Yoon’s martial law decree caused no casualties and was short-lived, despite his apparent lack of genuine remorse.
Historically, South Korea has pardoned former presidents convicted of serious crimes in the interest of national unity, including Chun Doo-hwan, who was originally sentenced to death for his role in the 1979 coup and the 1980 crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
Observers speculate that Yoon may adopt a defiant stance during his ongoing trials to maintain his support base, with the expectation that he could eventually be pardoned.
Yoon’s martial law decree, announced in a televised address on December 3, 2024, ordered troops and police to encircle the National Assembly and eliminate “anti-state forces” while ostensibly protecting “the constitutional democratic order.”
While the move did not result in major violence, it triggered the largest political crisis in South Korea in decades, unsettled financial markets, and recalled memories of authoritarian crackdowns during the 1970s and 1980s.
Following Yoon’s removal, liberal rival Lee Jae Myung won a snap presidential election in June 2025 and appointed three independent counsels to investigate Yoon, his wife, and associates.
Yoon faces additional trials for allegedly ordering provocative drone flights over North Korea, manipulating a marine’s drowning investigation in 2023, and receiving free political opinion surveys in exchange for favours.
This first sentencing sets the stage for the remaining trials, which will determine the full extent of Yoon’s criminal liability and potential prison terms. - January 16, 2026
