Yoon Suk Yeol awaits South Korea martial law ruling

South Korea's Supreme Court was due on July 9 to rule in a case against former president Yoon Suk Yeol over alleged crimes linked to his failed 2024 martial law declaration.

The case covers accusations that Yoon obstructed cabinet deliberations, used forged signatures from the prime minister before the declaration, and used presidential security agents to block his arrest after lawmakers had nullified martial law.

A lower court sentenced Yoon to five years in prison in January after convicting him on most charges. An appeals court upheld the ruling in April, added a guilty verdict over a misleading press release to foreign media, and raised the sentence to seven years. Both prosecutors and Yoon's lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court, whose rulings are final.

Yoon is already in detention while he appeals a separate life sentence for leading an insurrection with the martial law declaration. He has insisted the declaration was made for the public interest.

The late-night televised declaration in December 2024 suspended civilian rule for about six hours before lawmakers voted it down in an emergency session. It triggered protests, hit the stock market and surprised allies including the United States.

Yoon was ousted over the martial law bid in April 2025, leading to elections won by Lee Jae Myung of the centre-left Democratic Party.