South Korea court sentences ex-president to 5 years in martial law case

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Al JazeeraJanuary 16, 2026 at 07:02 AM

AI Summary

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Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday by the Seoul Central District Court for his actions related to declaring martial law in December 2024. Judge Baek Dae-hyun found Yoon guilty of obstructing justice, fabricating documents, and failing to follow legal procedures for imposing martial law. The court stated that Yoon failed to uphold the Constitution, and his culpability was deemed extremely grave. Yoon's lawyer stated that he will appeal the verdict, claiming it was politically motivated. The ruling is the first related to the criminal charges Yoon faces regarding his attempt to impose martial law, which lasted approximately six hours. Supporters of Yoon gathered outside the court to protest the verdict.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Yoo Jung-hwa 30% Baek Dae-hyun 40% Seoul Central District Court 50% Seoul ×260% Martial Law Declaration (South Korea, 2024) ×470% South Korea ×480% Yoon Suk Yeol ×790%

Keywords

martial law 80% obstructing justice 70% south korea 60% judicial system 50% democracy 50% rule of law 40% corruption 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

South Korea

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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martial law obstructing justice south korea judicial system democracy rule of law corruption

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