Ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol Faces Multiple Trials; Separate Insurrection Charge Carries Potential Death Penalty
SEOUL — Prosecutors on Friday requested a 10-year prison sentence for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges related to his 2024 declaration of martial law.
The case stems from Yoon’s controversial order on December 3, 2024, which temporarily suspended civilian rule and triggered nationwide protests and a parliamentary crisis. The Constitutional Court removed him from office in April.
In the current trial, prosecutors accused Yoon of obstruction of justice, alleging he excluded cabinet members from a key martial law meeting and later blocked investigators from detaining him in January. A Seoul court is expected to deliver its verdict next month, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
Yoon has defended his actions, stating this month that the martial law declaration was necessary to counter what he called “pro-China, pro-North Korea, and traitorous activities.”
The obstruction case is one of four trials the former president faces. The most serious charge—leading an insurrection—carries a potential death penalty if he is convicted.
