Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces his first court ruling on charges linked to his failed martial law attempt, with a potential 10-year sentence.
SEOUL: Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will receive the first court ruling on Friday regarding criminal charges from his failed martial law attempt.
The ruling could lead to a lengthy prison sentence if he is found guilty.
Yoon faces up to 10 years in jail if convicted on charges including obstructing officials from executing an arrest warrant.
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Prosecutors allege he barricaded himself inside his residential compound in January and ordered the security service to block investigators.
He was later arrested in a second attempt involving over 3,000 police officers, marking the first arrest of a sitting president in South Korea.
Yoon, currently held in the Seoul Detention Center, also faces allegations of falsifying official documents related to his December 2024 martial law declaration.
He had claimed the move was to restore democratic order against the majority opposition and “anti-state” forces.
Separately, Yoon faces other trials, including a charge of masterminding insurrection where prosecutors have sought the death penalty.
A ruling on the insurrection charge is scheduled for February.
Parliament, with support from some members of Yoon’s conservative party, voted to overturn his martial law decree within hours and later impeached him.
The Constitutional Court removed him from office in April last year, ruling he violated the duties of his office.
His bid to impose martial law lasted only about six hours but sent shockwaves through the nation.
The event deeply impacted South Korea, a key US security ally and one of Asia’s most resilient democracies. – Reuters
