Name: South Korea's impeached president found guilty in first of four trials | BBC News
Uploaded: 2026-01-16T16:58:17.000Z
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Within the past few hours, a South Korean court has found the former President Yoon Suk Yeol guilty of several charges over his failed attempt to impose martial law just a year ago.

They include abuse of power, obstruction of justice, falsifying official documents, and damaging or destroying official documents.

It's the first of a number of criminal trials he faces, including on charges of leading an insurrection crime for which prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Well, let's cross over live to Seoul because my colleague Jake Kwon joins us now.

Jake, so just talk us through this court appearance.

Well, it really did not go well for Mr. Yoon today as the judge gave him the verdict.

It's five years in prison for essentially ordering his presidential guards to defend against the arrest attempt.

Also essentially cutting the corners when he was declaring martial law in December 2024.

As the judge was reading out the verdict, Mr. Yoon seemed very stone faced.

At one point, he simply bit his lips as if to prevent himself from speaking.

And what the judge was saying was that Mr.

Yoon was given this mighty power as the president of the country and that he was sworn to protect the constitution and the law, and

Now this, the judge said, requires most severe punishment.

Now the five years doesn't seem like a lot considering what he's being charged with.

But there's a lot of implication here for the what is going to follow the leading an insurrection trial that is going to have a verdict next month.

Yoon's defense team leaned on a lot of the defense strategy that he is using for the leading an insurrection charge as well.

So he was arguing that the prosecutors, the investigators, just did not have the rights to investigate him in the first place.

That he as a president, he was entirely empowered to declare martial law because of there was a huge emergency in this country now that today the judge dismissed these defenses.

So when we look at what happened today, it really does not bode well for Mr.

Jake, is there a chance when it comes to this particular sentencing that he'll appeal?

Well, we just heard from the defense team that they are going to appeal.

Now this has been the strategy of, of Mr. Yoon's defense.

many points during this year long trial, he was being accused of delaying tactics because the team constantly fought every single step of the way.

They seemed to argue that the arrest was not legal.

They argued that every minute little details of the process in this trial has not been legal.

Now the judge also admonished him on this point.

And they also pointed out that Mr. Yoon did not seem remorseful at all.

And this was another reason that he does not deserve leniency.