Ex-South Korean President Yoon Faces First Court Ruling Over Martial Law Case. Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to face the first court ruling on Friday related to criminal charges stemming from his failed attempt to impose martial law. If convicted, Yoon could face up to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors accuse him of obstructing officials who tried to execute an arrest warrant in January, when he barricaded himself inside his residence and ordered security forces to block investigators. He was later arrested in a second operation involving more than 3,000 police officers, marking the first arrest of a sitting president in South Korea's history. Yoon, now held at the Seoul Detention Center, is also accused of falsifying official documents when he declared martial law in December 2024, claiming the country was under threat from opposition and so-called anti-state forces. In a separate case, prosecutors are seeking the death penalty on charges of masterminding insurrection, with a ruling expected in February.