Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to five years in prison in the first verdict from his high-profile trials related to the short-lived martial law declaration in December 2024.
The Seoul Central District Court delivered the ruling on Thursday, January 16, 2026, finding Yoon guilty on charges of insurrection and abuse of power for his attempt to impose martial law on December 3, 2024 an action that plunged the country into its most serious political crisis in decades.
The court ruled that Yoon’s declaration of martial law, which lasted only six hours before being overturned by the National Assembly, constituted an illegal and unconstitutional act aimed at suppressing political opposition and consolidating power.
Presiding Judge Kim Se-yun stated in the verdict: “The defendant’s actions posed a grave threat to democracy and the constitutional order. While the martial law was lifted swiftly, the intent and potential danger were clear.”
Yoon, who was impeached by parliament in December 2024 and removed from office in March 2025, has maintained his innocence, claiming the martial law decree was a necessary measure to protect national security amid political deadlock.
He was arrested in January 2025 and has been in detention since, facing multiple charges including insurrection, abuse of authority, and incitement.
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The five-year sentence is the first major conviction in a series of ongoing trials against Yoon, his wife Kim Keon-hee, and several close aides. Appeals are widely expected, with the case almost certain to reach the Supreme Court.
The verdict marks a historic moment in South Korean democracy the first time a former president has been sentenced to prison for insurrection-related charges since the country’s transition to democracy in the late 1980s.
Public reaction has been deeply divided, with supporters calling the sentence politically motivated and opponents hailing it as a victory for the rule of law.
By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
Send tips to: adeyemi@ddnewsonline.com | 08168555497
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