South Korea's ex-president Yoon given 5-year jail term in first ruling over martial law

A far-right protester holds a banner with a slogan supporting former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, before a bus carrying him arrives for a first court verdict in a case including obstruction of arrest, linked to his martial law declaration, at a court in Seoul, South Korea, January 16, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon

SEOUL, Jan 16 (Reuters) - A South ‌Korean court on Friday sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison on charges that included obstructing attempts by authorities to ‌arrest him following his failed bid to impose martial law in December 2024.

The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon guilty of mobilising ‌the presidential security service to block authorities from executing an arrest warrant to investigate him for his martial law declaration.