Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol Sentenced to Life in Prison for Martial Law Disaster
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was sentenced to life in prison by the Seoul Central District Court for “leading an insurrection.”

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was sentenced to life in prison by the Seoul Central District Court for “leading an insurrection.”

Former South Korean prime minister Han Duck-soo, 76, became the latest member of former president Yoon Suk-Yeol’s administration to receive a heavy prison sentence on Wednesday. Han was sentenced to 23 years in prison for his role in Yoon’s unsuccessful attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.

Residents of Iran’s capital of Tehran told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on Monday that the city remains under “virtual martial law” after last week’s murderous crackdown on protesters, with a heavy security presence rolling through the largely-deserted streets.

Wednesday marked the first anniversary in South Korea of the December 3, 2024, attempt by former president Yoon Suk-yeol to impose martial law.

Millions of South Koreans are expected to go to the polls on Tuesday to choose a president in a special election necessitated by one of the most chaotic periods of political turmoil in the modern history of the country.

Lee Jae-myung, the left-wing presidential candidate leading in South Korea, suggests amending the constitution to make imposing martial law harder.

South Korea’s presidential election will be held on June 3. The last round of polls taken before polling is suspended under South Korean election law showed Lee Jae-myung, candidate of the left-wing Democratic Party (DP), with a solid but shrinking lead over Kim Moon-soo of the incumbent People Power Party (PPP).

South Korea has scheduled a snap election for June 3 to replace President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was impeached in December for attempting to impose martial law, then formally removed from office last Friday by the South Korean Constitutional Court.

South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Monday dismissed the impeachment of interim Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who took over after President Yoon Suk-yeol was impeached.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was indicted on charges of insurrection on Sunday, the first sitting South Korean president face a criminal indictment.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol made his first public appearance on Tuesday since he was arrested over the weekend in connection with his decree of martial law on December 3.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was formally placed under arrest on Sunday, sparking a riot among his supporters gathered outside the Seoul Western District Court.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol avoided arrest on Friday when his security detail refused to allow investigators into his residence, where he has been sequestered since December 12.

A Seoul court issued an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol over his failed attempt to impose martial law.

South Korean lawmakers impeached Acting President Han Duck-soo on Friday on the grounds that he was not moving quickly enough to complete the impeachment and trial of former President Yoon Suk-yeol after the latter’s disastrous attempt to impose martial law on December 3. Han’s tenure as acting president ended up lasting only 13 days.

North Korean state media mentioned South Korea’s martial law drama from December 3 for the first time on Wednesday, describing the actions of President Yoon Suk-yeol as “shocking.”

Former South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun reportedly attempted to kill himself on Tuesday night while in police detention.

The South Korean Justice Ministry banned President Yoon Suk-yeol from leaving the country on Monday, a result of a criminal investigation against him on charges of treason in response to his alarming and bizarre decision to declare martial law last week.

Multiple wings of the South Korean military apparatus assured the public on Friday that President Yoon Suk-yeol would not attempt to impose martial law for a second time this week, responding to spreading rumors that Yoon may attempt to exercise that power before an impeachment vote scheduled for Saturday.

The leader of South Korea’s ruling conservative party, the People Power Party (PPP), reiterated on Friday that he supports the ouster of President Yoon Suk-yeol after his bizarre and alarming decision to impose martial law on the country on Tuesday night.

Police in South Korea formally began an investigation into President Yoon Suk-yeol after receiving two complaints accusing him of treason.

South Korean President Yoon Sook-yeol on Thursday accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, even as critics demanded Yoon step down over his aborted attempt to impose martial law on Tuesday.

North Korean state media outlets published multiple articles on Wednesday amplifying calls for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to resign – but notably omitting the fact that most calls for his ouster are in response to his failed attempt to impose martial law on the country.

The administration of outgoing President Joe Biden appeared to be caught by surprise at the shock declaration of martial law in Seoul.

South Korea awoke on Wednesday to a flurry of resignations of senior presidential staff, a united opposition filing an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol, and a confused ruling party demanding answers from Yoon after his failed attempt to impose martial law on Tuesday night.

Lawmakers from South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party (DP) managed to defy a lockdown on parliamentary headquarters to table a motion that would invalidate President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law at roughly 1:00 a.m. local time – even as armed soldiers smashed through the windows of the building and moved to clear the assembly floor.

South Korean Yoon Suk-yeol stunned the world on Tuesday morning by declaring a state of “emergency martial law” because “subversive, anti-state elements” among the opposition are blocking his agenda.

Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister of Bangladesh, resigned on Monday and fled the country after a month of huge anti-government protests.

The United States government warned that dual citizens of Ukraine and the U.S. who are within the age of conscription may face the possibility of being stuck in the country.

The Ukrainian Parliament has decided the nation’s state of martial law will not expire later this month, extending it a further 90 days.

Russia claims a television broadcast showing Vladimir Putin declaring martial law is actually an A.I.-generated fake deployed by hackers.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukraine’s border guard agency says that about 2,200 Ukrainian men of fighting age have been detained so far while trying to leave the country in violation of martial law.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has used martial law to ban a number of Ukrainian opposition parties, including the largest party after his own.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky briefly addressed his nation about 90 minutes after the Russian attack began early Thursday morning local time. Zelensky declared martial law and vowed to resist the Russian invasion while urging his citizens to remain calm.

President Donald Trump denied Sunday he was considering martial law, after news outlets speculated about the contents of a White House meeting.

Jenny Durkan, Democrat Mayor of Seattle, said sending federal police to cities to quell the violence “looks like a dry run for martial law.”

On Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s “OutFront,” Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (D) stated that President Trump’s actions “were responsible for what happened this weekend” in Seattle and “we are seeing the dry run for martial law.” Durkan also stated that the
Thursday, MSNBC’s John Heilemann decried President Donald Trump’s handling of violent protests in Portland, OR, and other cities across the United States as the country approaches the 2020 presidential election. Heilemann on “Morning Joe” highlighted that Trump has been “willing”

Police confirmed on Sunday that they shot dead a 63-year-old man on the Philippine island of Mindanao after refusing to cooperate with coronavirus mandates. The incident occurred in the town of Nasipit in the southern province of Agusan del Norte.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte issued a “shoot to kill” order to police officers on Wednesday for anyone they see violating Chinese coronavirus quarantine orders.
