South Korea seeks 10-yr jail term for ex-president Yoon

South Korea’s special prosecutor has sought a 10-year prison sentence for former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who thwarted attempts to arrest him after a failed attempt to impose martial law.

Prosecutors accused the ousted president of trying to prevent investigators who wanted to arrest him in January by barricading himself in the presidential building.

Prosecutors’ request is the first prison sentence they are seeking for Yoon due to the multiple charges he faces, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Yoon’s declaration of martial law plunged the country, seen as one of the success stories of democratic resistance, into months of political turmoil.

This comes as US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on global trading partners has rattled South Korea, an export-heavy economy.

The conservative leader was later ousted, and political rival Lee Jae Myung, who lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential poll, won the early election in June.

He came to power with the mission of saving the country from the shock of martial law, while those accused of involvement in this incident were arrested and tried.