Ex-South Korean Leader Gets Prison Term in First Ruling Over Martial Law
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to five years in prison for fabricating an official document to justify his brief martial law declaration in late 2024 and illegally using his bodyguards to prevent his arrest on insurrection charges.
- The Seoul Central District Court convicted Yoon of obstructing justice by ordering his presidential security agents to block law enforcement from serving an arrest warrant, although he was detained days later.
- Yoon was also found guilty of abusing power by excluding some cabinet members from a key meeting prior to declaring martial law and fabricating documents to falsely show cabinet approval of his decree.
- Additional charges include ordering the removal of data from secure government phones to obstruct investigations related to the martial law plan.
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