martial law | DD News

July 6, 2025 5:23 PM

South Korea prosecutors file request to detain ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol

South Korean special prosecutors filed a new request on Sunday to detain former President Yoon Suk Yeol, a day after he appeared before them for questioning over his declaration of martial law last year. Yoon, who is facing a criminal trial on insurrection charges over the martial law declaration in December, was arrested in January after resisting authorities trying to take him into custody, but was released after 52 days on technical grounds. "Detention request is related to allegations of a...

June 4, 2025 8:55 AM

South Korea’s new president Lee Jae-myung vows economic revival, judgment on martial law

South Korea's new liberal President Lee Jae-myung began his term on Wednesday, vowing to raise the country from the turmoil of a martial law crisis and revive an economy reeling from slowing growth and the threat of global protectionism. Lee's decisive victory in Tuesday's snap election stands to usher in a sea change in Asia's fourth-largest economy, after backlash against a botched attempt at military rule brought down Yoon Suk Yeol just three years into his troubled presidency. He faces wha...

June 3, 2025 9:10 AM

South Koreans vote for president in hope of restoring stability after martial law crisis

South Koreans were voting for a new president on Tuesday to cap six months of turmoil triggered by a shock martial law briefly imposed by former leader Yoon Suk Yeol that marred the country's reputation as a vibrant, if at times chaotic, democracy. The new leader will face the challenge of rallying a society deeply scarred by the attempt at military rule and an export-heavy economy reeling from unpredictable protectionist moves by the United States, a major trading partner and a security ally. ...

June 2, 2025 9:57 AM

South Korea’s political crisis from martial law to snap election

South Koreans will go to the polls in a snap election on Tuesday, voting for a president to replace Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted from office in April after his brief martial law attempt sent shockwaves through the country. Here are key events from martial law to Yoon's impeachment, arrest, and indictment, and election day. December 3, 2024: Shortly before 10:30 p.m. (1330 GMT), Yoon declares on national television he is imposing martial law to root out "anti-state forces" and overcome politic...

April 4, 2025 9:11 AM

South Korea’s President Yoon ousted by Constitutional Court

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted by the Constitutional Court on Friday, which upheld parliament's impeachment motion over his short-lived imposition of martial law last year that sparked the country's worst political crisis in decades.With Yoon's ouster, a presidential election is required to take place within 60 days, according to the country's constitution. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will continue to serve as acting president until the new president is inaugurated. Acting...

January 21, 2025 5:38 PM

South Korea’s Yoon defends actions at impeachment hearing over martial law decree

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attended on Tuesday a Constitutional Court hearing of his impeachment trial where he denied ordering military commanders to drag lawmakers out of parliament during his short-lived bid to impose martial law. Near the start of the hearing, Yoon said he had worked in public service with "a firm commitment to free democracy", when invited by the acting chief justice, Moon Hyung-bae, to speak. Dressed in a navy-coloured suit with a burgundy tie, Yoon, a career p...

Police officers stand guard as people gather near the presidential residence to show support for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after the anti-corruption agency for high-ranking officials received a new court warrant to arrest Yoon, in Seoul, South Korea, January 8, 2025. Photo by Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images/Files

January 15, 2025 4:30 PM

South Korean investigators question arrested President Yoon in insurrection probe

Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested and questioned by authorities on Wednesday in relation to a criminal insurrection investigation, saying he was only cooperating with what he called an illegal probe to avoid violence. His arrest, the first ever for an incumbent South Korean president, is the latest head-spinning development for one of Asia's most vibrant democracies even though the country has a history of prosecuting and imprisoning former leaders. Since lawmakers vo...

January 3, 2025 10:51 AM

South Korean authorities fail to arrest impeached President Yoon due to security stand-off

South Korean authorities failed to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday over his martial law declaration, after evading a crowd of protesters outside his compound but coming to a standoff with presidential security forces inside. Yoon supporters gathered in the pre-dawn hours near the presidential residence, with the numbers swelling into the hundreds as they vowed to block any attempt to arrest Yoon. Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (...

December 31, 2024 10:52 AM

South Korea court issues arrest warrant for President Yoon

A South Korean court on Tuesday approved an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been impeached and suspended from power over his decision to impose martial law on Dec. 3, investigating authorities said. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) confirmed the Seoul Western District Court approved the warrant requested by investigators examining Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law. This is the first arrest warrant issued for an incumbent presid...

December 4, 2024 8:46 AM

America welcomes South Korean President Yoon’s decision to lift martial law

The US on Wednesday welcomed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's rescinding of the martial law declaration following the National Assembly's unanimous vote to reject it. In a statement issued by US State Department, the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, emphasised the importance of resolving political disagreements peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law. He also reiterated the US's commitment to supporting the people of Korea and the enduring alliance between the US and South Ko...