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South Korean Court Jails Yoon Suk Yeol for 5 Years in First Ruling Over Martial Law Bid

The ruling affirms the anti-corruption office’s authority, setting a legal marker for next month’s insurrection verdict.

Overview

  • Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoon Suk Yeol to five years for obstructing investigators and other offenses linked to his December 2024 martial law declaration.
  • The bench found he ordered the Presidential Security Service to block execution of a detention warrant and destroyed records, including a revised proclamation and secure phone data.
  • The court held that the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials acted within its legal remit in investigating and executing warrants against the then-president.
  • Special counsel had sought a combined 10-year term on these counts, and a separate insurrection case carries a prosecution request for the death penalty with a Feb. 19 ruling scheduled.
  • Yoon remains in custody, and his legal team said he will appeal the decision, criticizing the process as politically driven.