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Seoul Court Sentences Ex-President Yoon to Five Years in First Martial-Law Case

The ruling sets the stage for a February hearing on an insurrection charge that carries a potential death sentence.

Overview

  • Seoul Central District Court found Yoon Suk Yeol guilty of obstructing justice and using the Presidential Security Service to thwart arrest attempts tied to his December 2024 decree.
  • The five-year term is half the ten years prosecutors sought, and his legal team has seven days to appeal while alleging the case is politically driven.
  • Yoon remains in detention after impeachment and removal from office following mass protests that forced him to rescind the martial-law order.
  • A February 19 hearing is scheduled on whether he committed insurrection, a charge for which prosecutors have requested the death penalty, though executions have been under a long-standing moratorium.
  • Prosecutors are also pursuing broader allegations, including claims he sought to provoke North Korea with drone flights to justify extraordinary measures.