South Korean court sentences ex-President Yoon to 5 years for obstruction during martial law bid

The Seoul Central District Court said it found Yoon guilty of obstructing authorities from executing an arrest warrant related to his martial law declaration.

A South Korean court on Friday sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison for charges including obstructing attempts to arrest him following his failed bid to impose martial law.

South Korean prosecutors had called on January 13 for the death penalty to be handed down to former president Yoon Suk Yeol for his December 2024 declaration of martial law, which plunged the country into chaos. (AFP File)

The Seoul Central District Court said it found Yoon guilty of obstructing authorities from executing an arrest warrant related to his martial law declaration in December 2024, live broadcast of the ruling showed.

He was also found guilty of charges that include fabricating official documents and failing to comply with legal process required for martial law.

The ruling is the first related to the criminal charges Yoon faces over his botched martial law declaration.

The ruling can be appealed.