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South Korea Indicts Pastor Jeon While Ex‑Chief Justice Yang Appeals Sentence

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  • Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae arrives at the Seoul High Court in the capital on Jan. 30, 2026, to attend his sentencing hearing over charges of power abuse. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae arrives at the Seoul High Court in the capital on Jan. 30, 2026, to attend his sentencing hearing over charges of power abuse. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) Source Full size
  • Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae arrives at the Seoul High Court in the capital on Jan. 30, 2026, to attend his sentencing hearing over charges of power abuse. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae arrives at the Seoul High Court in the capital on Jan. 30, 2026, to attend his sentencing hearing over charges of power abuse. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) Source Full size
  • This file photo, taken Jan. 13, 2026, shows Jeon Kwang-hoon, a conservative activist pastor, answering reporters' questions before attending his arrest warrant hearing at the Seoul Western District Court. (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    This file photo, taken Jan. 13, 2026, shows Jeon Kwang-hoon, a conservative activist pastor, answering reporters' questions before attending his arrest warrant hearing at the Seoul Western District Court. (Yonhap) Source Full size
  • This file photo, taken Jan. 13, 2026, shows Jeon Kwang-hoon, a conservative activist pastor, answering reporters' questions before attending his arrest warrant hearing at the Seoul Western District Court. (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    This file photo, taken Jan. 13, 2026, shows Jeon Kwang-hoon, a conservative activist pastor, answering reporters' questions before attending his arrest warrant hearing at the Seoul Western District Court. (Yonhap) Source Full size
  • Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae arrives at the Seoul High Court in the capital on Jan. 30, 2026, to attend his sentencing hearing over charges of power abuse. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae arrives at the Seoul High Court in the capital on Jan. 30, 2026, to attend his sentencing hearing over charges of power abuse. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) Source Full size
  • Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae arrives at the Seoul High Court in the capital on Jan. 30, 2026, to attend his sentencing hearing over charges of power abuse. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae arrives at the Seoul High Court in the capital on Jan. 30, 2026, to attend his sentencing hearing over charges of power abuse. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) Source Full size
  • Former Supreme Court Justice Park Byong-dae arrives at the Seoul High Court in the capital on Jan. 30, 2026, to attend his sentencing hearing over charges of power abuse. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    Former Supreme Court Justice Park Byong-dae arrives at the Seoul High Court in the capital on Jan. 30, 2026, to attend his sentencing hearing over charges of power abuse. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) Source Full size
  • Former Supreme Court Justice Ko Young-han arrives at the Seoul High Court in the capital on Jan. 30, 2026, to attend his sentencing hearing over charges of power abuse. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    Former Supreme Court Justice Ko Young-han arrives at the Seoul High Court in the capital on Jan. 30, 2026, to attend his sentencing hearing over charges of power abuse. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) Source Full size

Pastor Jeon Indicted for Instigating 2025 Courthouse Riot On 3 February 2026 prosecutors formally indicted conservative pastor Jeon Kwang‑hoon on charges of instigating trespassing, obstructing public duties and violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act after his alleged coordination of the Jan 19 2025 assault on the Seoul Western District Court [1]. The indictment cites Jeon’s rally speech urging participants to exercise a “right of resistance” and march from Gwanghwamun Square toward the court on Jan 18 2025 [1]. An arrest warrant issued on 13 January 2026 labeled him a flight risk and warned of evidence destruction, and a photo that day shows Jeon addressing reporters before his hearing [1].

Yang Sung‑tae Receives Six‑Month Suspended Sentence The Seoul High Court sentenced former Supreme Court chief justice Yang Sung‑tae to a six‑month prison term suspended for one year on 30 January 2026, overturning a lower‑court acquittal of all 47 charges [3][4]. The court found Yang guilty of abusing judicial power by meddling in specific trials, including a forced‑labor compensation case and an election‑interference case, marking the first criminal conviction of a former chief justice in South Korea [3][4]. Prosecutors had originally sought a seven‑year term, but the appellate court imposed the markedly shorter suspended sentence [4].

Yang Files Appeal Against Suspended Prison Term Yang lodged an appeal on 2 February 2026, contesting the suspended sentence and arguing that the verdict violates established legal principles governing power‑abuse prosecutions [2]. His legal team announced the appeal would seek to overturn the ruling, emphasizing concerns about precedent and procedural fairness [2]. The appeal moves the case to a higher judicial review, extending the legal saga that began with his 2019 arrest [2].

Co‑Defendants Receive Mixed Outcomes in Power‑Abuse Case Former Justice Park Byong‑dae was sentenced to the same six‑month suspended term as Yang, while former Justice Ko Young‑han was acquitted of all charges, reflecting divergent findings on each official’s involvement [3][4]. The appellate court upheld Ko’s acquittal but affirmed Park’s culpability for colluding with Yang in trial manipulation [3][4]. These outcomes illustrate the court’s nuanced assessment of individual responsibility within the broader abuse scheme.

Prosecutors’ Seven‑Year Request Contrasts With Court’s Lenient Verdict Prosecutors had demanded a seven‑year imprisonment for Yang, citing the gravity of leveraging judicial decisions for political bargaining with the Park Geun‑hye administration between 2011 and 2017 [4]. The court’s decision to impose only a six‑month suspended sentence represents a substantial reduction, highlighting differing views on the severity of the misconduct [4]. This disparity may influence future sentencing standards for high‑ranking officials accused of power abuse.

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Timeline

May 2022 – Yoon Suk‑yeol assumes the presidency and repeatedly references emergency powers in speeches, foreshadowing later constitutional maneuvers [25].

Dec 3 2024 – Yoon declares martial law, orders troops and police to seal the National Assembly, arrests the speaker and party leaders, and drafts a falsified proclamation; the decree lasts only hours before a six‑hour parliamentary vote lifts it [3][6][14].

Dec 3 2024 (hours later) – The martial‑law decree is revoked after a unanimous vote by 190 lawmakers, ending the brief self‑coup and sparking nationwide protests [6].

Apr 2025 – The National Assembly impeaches and removes Yoon from office; Lee Jae‑myung wins the snap presidential election and appoints independent counsels to probe the martial‑law episode [13].

July 2025 – Yoon is re‑arrested on additional martial‑law‑related charges after a brief release in March [13].

Aug 2025 – Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon‑hee, is arrested and indicted on bribery and related charges tied to the broader scandal [13].

Oct 2023 or earlier – Special counsel concludes Yoon began planning the martial‑law bid before October 2023, aiming to seize power via an emergency legislature and timing the Dec 3 decree to avoid U.S. interference [25].

Dec 14 2025 – The special counsel indicts 24 individuals—including Yoon, former PM Han Duck‑soo, former defence minister Kim Yong‑hyun, and former NIS chief Cho Tae‑yong—over the martial‑law plot [25].

Dec 15 2025 – Retired Maj. Gen. Noh Sang‑won receives a two‑year prison term and a fine for collecting military intelligence and bribery linked to the martial‑law preparation [24].

Dec 23 2025 – A preparatory hearing is set for People Power Party lawmaker Choo Kyung‑ho, accused of changing the venue of an emergency party meeting that hindered the parliamentary vote to lift the decree [23].

Dec 26 2025 – Prosecutors file a request for a 10‑year prison term for Yoon on obstruction of justice, citing “a grave crime” of privatising state institutions and noting his lack of remorse [21][22].

Dec 30 2025 – The Seoul Central District Court merges the insurrection trials of Yoon, former defence minister Kim Yong‑hyun, and former police chief Cho Ji‑ho into a single proceeding to streamline identical factual issues [20].

Jan 7 2026 – The Seoul High Court schedules a Thursday meeting to draft guidelines for new special benches that will hear insurrection, treason and rebellion cases, a law passed by the Democratic‑party‑controlled Assembly the previous week [19].

Jan 9 2026 – The final hearing in Yoon’s insurrection trial takes place, with the court set to hear the prosecution’s sentencing recommendation and the defendant’s final statement; a separate session is postponed to the following Tuesday [18][17].

Jan 10 2026 – The sentencing hearing for Yoon is postponed to Jan 13, with media describing the delay as a “courtroom filibuster” [16].

Jan 13 2026 – An 11‑hour evidentiary session concludes; prosecutors request the death penalty for Yoon, describing his motive as “lust for power” and labeling the act a “self‑coup” [15][3][12][13][14].

Jan 15 2026 – Yoon faces his first verdict on martial‑law‑related obstruction charges; prosecutors again seek the death penalty for the insurrection count, noting that South Korea has not carried out executions since 1997 [2][10][9][11][12][13][14].

Jan 16 2026 – The Seoul Central District Court convicts Yoon of abuse of power, obstruction and falsifying documents, sentencing him to five years in prison; supporters gather outside the courthouse to watch the livestream [1].

Jan 17 2026 – Yoon’s lawyers denounce the ruling as “purely based on political reasoning” and claim a “disappearance of legal principles and collapse of constitutionalism” [8].

Jan 21 2026 – Former prime minister Han Duck‑soo receives a 23‑year prison sentence for rebellion, with the court finding he gave procedural legitimacy to the martial‑law decree; Yoon’s lawyers deny perjury charges related to a pre‑decree cabinet meeting [5][6][7].

Jan 22 2026 – Additional reporting emphasizes Han’s role in the insurrection and notes the verdict may influence Yoon’s upcoming February judgment [4].

Feb 19 2026 (expected) – The court is slated to deliver its verdict on Yoon’s insurrection charge; prosecutors have asked for the death penalty, while Yoon’s team has seven days to appeal any sentence [1][2][8][13][14][19].

Post‑Feb 19 2026 (future) – Any appeal of Yoon’s conviction will be heard by the newly created special benches of the Seoul High Court, as outlined in the Jan 7 meeting on judicial panel formation [19].

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