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A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison Friday on some charges related to his imposition of martial law. The verdict is the first against Yoon in the eight criminal trials over the decree he issued in late 2024 and other allegations. The most significant charge against him alleges that he led a rebellion in connection with his martial law enforcement and it carries a potential death penalty. The Seoul Central District Court in the case decided Friday sentenced him for other charges like his defiance of authorities' attempts to detain him. Yoon hasn't immediately publicly responded to the ruling. But when an independent counsel earlier demanded a 10-year prison term for Yoon over those charges, Yoon's defense team accused them of being politically driven and lacking legal grounds to demand such an excessive sentence. Yoon has been impeached, arrested and dismissed as president after his short-lived imposition of martial law in December
A fire on Friday in one of Seoul's last-remaining shanty towns burned makeshift houses and forced dozens of residents to flee, but no casualties were immediately reported. Much of the fire was under control about 6 1/2 hours after the blaze broke out in Guryong village in southern Seoul, fire officials said. Local fire officer Jeong Gwang-hun told a televised briefing that rescuers were searching each house in the burned area to look for possible victims. More than 1,200 personnel including firefighters and police officers were deployed to the scene, he said, adding the cause of the fire was under investigation. The hillside village has occasionally had fires over the years, a vulnerability that observers say is linked to its tightly packed homes built with materials that easily burn. The village is located near some of Seoul's most expensive neighbourhoods, with towering high-rise apartments and lavish shopping districts, and has long been a symbol of South Korea's stark income .
An independent counsel on Tuesday demanded the death sentence for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on rebellion charges in connection with his short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024. Yoon, who was removed from office last April and is in jail, faces eight trials over various criminal charges related to his martial law debacle and other scandals that flared during his time in office. Charges that he directed a rebellion are the most significant ones. Independent counsel Cho Eun-suk's team requested the Seoul Central District Court to sentence Yoon to death, describing his decree as anti-state activities and a self-coup. Cho's team alleged that Yoon aimed to prolong his rule by neutralising the constitutional structure of state governance systems. Speaking at the same court room later, Yoon slammed investigations on his rebellion charges, saying they've been frenzied" and that they have involved manipulation and distortion. Yoon, a conservative, also ...
North Korea's military accused South Korea of flying drones across the border between the nations this week, warning Saturday that South Korea will face consequences for its unpardonable hysteria. South Korea quickly denied the accusation. But the development is likely to further dim prospects for efforts by South Korea's liberal government to restore ties with North Korea. North Korean forces used special electronic warfare assets on Sunday to bring down a South Korean drone flying over North Korea's border town. The drone was equipped with two cameras that filmed unspecified areas, the General Staff of the North's Korean People's Army said in a statement carried by state media. South Korea infiltrated another drone into North Korean airspace on September 27 before it was forced to crash following electronic strikes by North Korea, the statement said, adding that authorities found the drone also contained video data on major objects in North Korea. We strongly denounce the hooliga
China and South Korea's leaders pledged to boost trade and safeguard regional stability on Monday during a visit to Beijing by the South Korean president that was overshadowed by North Korea's recent ballistic missile tests. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met Chinese President Xi Jinping as part of his four-day trip to China his first since taking office, in June. As Xi hosted Lee at the imposing Great Hall of the People, the Chinese president stressed the two countries' important responsibilities in maintaining regional peace and promoting global development, according to a readout of their meeting broadcast by state-run CCTV. Lee spoke about opening a new chapter in the development of Korea-China relations during changing times. The two countries should make joint contributions to promote peace, which is the foundation for prosperity and growth, Lee said. The visit comes as China wants to shore up regional support amid rising tensions with Japan. Beijing and South Korea's
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is set to begin his visit to China on Sunday as Beijing looks to deepen ties with the country after heightened tensions between China and Japan over Taiwan, a self-ruled island it claims as its sovereign territory. Lee's four-day trip is his first visit to China since taking office in June. It comes at a time of heightened tensions between China and Japan, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November said that her country's military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan. During his stay, Lee will meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, their second meeting in just two months. Lee signals commitment to China's ties ------------------------------------------ Ahead of his trip, Lee gave an interview to China's state broadcaster CCTV at Seoul's Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office also known as the Blue House. Lee was quoted as saying that it was his first interview held in the presidential palace and th
North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea on Sunday, South Korea's military said. South Korea's military said North Korea's missile launch off the North's east coast happened Sunday morning but gave no further details. Japan's defence ministry also reported a suspected missile launch by North Korea. There were no immediate reports of any damages. The launch is the latest weapons display by North Korea ahead of its upcoming ruling Workers' Party congress. Experts say North Korea is likely ramping up weapons tests to show off its achievements in the defence sector ahead of the congress, the first of its kind in five years. Observers are watching the congress to see whether North Korea will set a new policy on the US and respond to its calls to resume long-stalled talks. The launch also came hours before South Korea's president, Lee Jae Myung, leaves for China for a summit with President Xi Jinping. During the trip, Lee's office said he would request China to make a ...
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday commuted to Cheong Wa Dae, the country's traditional presidential palace, for the first time since taking office in June, more than three years after his ousted predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol moved the presidential office to the Defense Ministry compound. It was the first time a president had commuted to Cheong Wa Dae since May 9, 2022, the final day of former President Moon Jae-in's term, before Yoon began his presidency working out of a converted Defense Ministry building. Lee, who won a snap presidential election in June following Yoon's removal over a brief declaration of martial law in December 2024, spent weeks relocating the presidential office back to Cheong Wa Dae, also known as the Blue House, as he seeks to erase the legacy of his now-jailed predecessor. Cheong Wa Dae is nestled on the lower slopes of a mountain in northern Seoul, occupying about 250,000 square meters (62 acres) behind the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace. The site,
An independent counsel on Friday demanded a 10-year prison term for South Korea's ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol in the first of seven criminal cases related to his ill-fated attempt to impose martial law in 2024 and other allegations that flared when he was in office. The first of Yoon's trials to wrap up covers charges including his defiance of authorities' attempts to investigate and detain him. Yoon denies all charges and his lawyers have argued that the detainment warrant was invalid and illegal. The court is expected to render a verdict as early as next month. Yoon faces other trials on accusations ranging from corruption and favour trading to rebellion, a grave charge that is punishable by life imprisonment or execution. The rebellion trial is also nearing an end. Yoon's martial law enactment brought armed troops into Seoul streets and triggered South Korea's most serious political crisis in decades. Martial law lasted only a few hours, as lawmakers managed to enter the ...
South Korea's legislature on Tuesday passed a bill mandating specialised panels in Seoul's district and high courts for cases involving rebellion, treason and foreign subversion after complaints about the pace of the rebellion trial of jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol. But the bill, which is likely to be signed into law by President Lee Jae Myung, would fall short of the effect the Democratic Party initially sought from the liberal-led legislature. Lawmakers altered the wording to ensure the measure would not apply to ongoing trials. Critics have said the original draft risked infringing on judicial independence. The law would require the Seoul Central District Court and the Seoul High Court to establish at least two specialised panels for cases involving rebellion, treason and foreign subversion. Each panel must consist of a three-judge bench selected by the judges' council at each court. The bill passed the legislature 1752 with two abstentions after many conservatives ...
South Korea's ousted conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol plotted for over a year to impose martial law to eliminate his political rivals and monopolise power, investigators concluded on Monday. Yoon's martial law decree in December 2024 lasted only several hours and resulted in his rapid downfall. Independent counsel Cho Eun-suk, who announced the six-month probe's result, also accused the former president and his military allies of ordering operations against North Korea, in a deliberate bid to stoke tensions and justify his plans to declare martial law. Despite the lack of a serious response from North Korea, Cho said that Yoon declared martial law by branding the liberal-controlled legislature as anti-state forces that must be urgently removed. There was no immediate reaction from Yoon, who is in jail while standing trials for high-stakes rebellion charges. Yoon has steadfastly maintained that his martial law declaration was a desperate attempt to draw public support for his fi
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday he's weighing a possible apology to North Korea over suspicions that his ousted conservative predecessor intentionally sought to raise military tensions between the war-divided rivals in the buildup to his brief martial law declaration in December 2024. Speaking to reporters on the first anniversary of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's ill-fated power grab, Lee a liberal who won a snap presidential election following Yoon's removal from office in April stressed his desire to repair ties with North Korea. But asked about North Korea's yearslong detentions of several South Korean nationals, Lee said he wasn't aware of the issue, drawing criticism from relatives who call for their safe return. A special prosecutor last month indicted Yoon and two of his top defense officials over allegations that he ordered drone flights over North Korea to stoke tensions. South Korean media also reported Monday that South Korea's military under Yoon'