https://www.scmp.com/rss/512607/feed Latest news and updates on Yoon Suk-yeol who was sworn in as president of South Korea on May 10, 2022. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A South Korean appeals court reduced the sentence of former prime minister Han Duck-soo on Thursday by eight years for crimes relating to ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol’s martial law declaration. Yoon’s decree in December 2024 briefly suspended civilian rule and plunged South Korea into chaos, but only lasted around six hours as opposition lawmakers moved quickly to overturn it in a vote. A lower court had sentenced Han in January to a heavier-than-expected jail term of 23 years for engaging in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352689/south-korean-court-cuts-former-prime-minister-han-duck-soos-jail-term-15-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352689/south-korean-court-cuts-former-prime-minister-han-duck-soos-jail-term-15-years?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 02:40:52 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A South Korean appellate court judge who presided over a high-profile case involving former first lady Kim Keon-hee was found dead early Wednesday morning, police said. Shin Jong-oh, who had overturned a lower court’s not guilty verdict and imposed a harsher sentence on Kim, was discovered with severe injuries in a flower bed near the Seoul High Court building in Seocho district, southern Seoul. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at a nearby hospital. Police suspect the 55-year-old died after... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352562/south-korean-judge-who-handed-kim-keon-hee-4-year-term-found-dead-days-after-verdict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352562/south-korean-judge-who-handed-kim-keon-hee-4-year-term-found-dead-days-after-verdict?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 03:39:55 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea’s jailed former president Yoon Suk-yeol had his prison sentence increased on Wednesday in a separate case linked to his failed martial law decree, in what analysts said could be a “bellwether” for the trials still unfolding from the crisis. The Seoul High Court raised Yoon’s sentence from five years to seven for obstruction of justice and other offences after finding that he used presidential security agents to block investigators trying to arrest him over the December 2024... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351820/south-koreas-yoon-given-longer-sentence-obstructing-justice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351820/south-koreas-yoon-given-longer-sentence-obstructing-justice?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:18:45 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Singapore balances national interest with rising anti-US sentiment In a rare public protest in Singapore, hundreds gathered in Hong Lim Park over the weekend to denounce the “US war machine”. They brandished placards and banners, including one with horns drawn on US... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3350808/singapores-us-interest-balancing-act-viral-songkran-clash-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3350808/singapores-us-interest-balancing-act-viral-songkran-clash-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:15:10 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong For the first time in nine months, former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol finally saw his wife again on Tuesday. He was the defendant. She was the witness. She barely looked at him. The reunion, their first since his arrest following a failed martial law declaration that ended his presidency, lasted all of 30 minutes. The couple made eye contact only once. Yoon looked visibly thinner, his face gaunt and marked with age spots, his once-dark hair now almost entirely silver. Kim Keon-hee wore... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350122/south-koreas-kim-keon-hee-ignores-yoon-frosty-courtroom-reunion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350122/south-koreas-kim-keon-hee-ignores-yoon-frosty-courtroom-reunion?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:24:08 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea’s jailed former president Yoon Suk-yeol has drawn sharp criticism for an Easter message from prison that opponents say amounted to comparing his downfall to the suffering of Jesus and showing his lack of remorse for his criminal acts. Yoon, who was removed from office a year ago after his short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024, released the message on Sunday through his lawyer, Bae Ui-cheol, urging the public to “hold onto the hope of salvation even if times are... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349150/south-koreas-yoon-slammed-invoking-jesus-his-message-sent-prison?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349150/south-koreas-yoon-slammed-invoking-jesus-his-message-sent-prison?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 08:09:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret to Pyongyang on Monday over drones sent into North Korea earlier this year, actions he called “irresponsible”. South Korea initially denied any official role in the January drone incursion – with authorities suggesting it was the work of civilians – but Lee said an investigation had revealed government officials had been involved. “Although this was not the intention of our government, we express our regret to the North that unnecessary... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349113/south-koreas-lee-regrets-drones-sent-north-irresponsible-and-reckless?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349113/south-koreas-lee-regrets-drones-sent-north-irresponsible-and-reckless?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:12:19 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong In Seoul last week, South Koreans were stripping shop shelves of plastic bin bags. Not food, not medicine. Bin bags. Nearly 2.7 million of the city’s mandatory “pay-as-you-throw” bags were sold each day, almost five times the normal volume, as residents scrambled to stockpile what they feared might soon become scarce. City by-laws mandate that the prepaid bags – made from naphtha, a petroleum derivative – be used to throw away household waste. But with oil supplies under strain amid the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348485/bin-bag-panic-grips-south-korea-huge-iran-war-crisis-budget-agreed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348485/bin-bag-panic-grips-south-korea-huge-iran-war-crisis-budget-agreed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:33:37 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong The death of one of South Korea’s most notorious police officers, known for his torture methods on prisoners, has revived painful memories of human rights abuses during the country’s era of military-backed authoritarian rule. Lee Geun-an, dubbed the “torture expert”, succumbed to multiple organ failure on Thursday at the age of 88. He had faced lifetime criticism for never expressing remorse and referring to himself as a “patriot”, once comparing his interrogation methods to “art”. Survivors of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348204/death-south-korean-torture-expert-reopens-authoritarian-era-wounds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348204/death-south-korean-torture-expert-reopens-authoritarian-era-wounds?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 01:30:10 +0000 David D. Lee David D. Lee It began with a late-night declaration of martial law and has ended, for now, with a gavel. In the 443 days between those two moments, South Korea’s democracy was tested in ways most countries never experience. Citizens formed human chains to block troops from reaching the National Assembly. Lawmakers rushed through corridors in the dead of night to kill the martial law decree by vote. The Constitutional Court upheld a president’s impeachment. Millions took to the streets in protest. A new... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344617/what-yoons-life-sentence-means-south-korean-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344617/what-yoons-life-sentence-means-south-korean-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong He called himself a spiritual guide. Prosecutors called him a fixer. This week, a court in Seoul called him something else: guilty of accepting bribes – a verdict that may yet determine the fate of South Korea’s disgraced former first lady Kim Keon-hee. The man at the centre of it all is Jeon Seong-bae, a high-profile shaman better known as “Monk” Gunjin who was convicted on Tuesday of acting as a go-between for Kim and senior figures of the Unification Church – channelling luxury gifts, cash... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3344562/kim-keon-hee-shamans-bribery-verdict-strikes-legal-blow-south-koreas-ex-first-lady?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3344562/kim-keon-hee-shamans-bribery-verdict-strikes-legal-blow-south-koreas-ex-first-lady?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 06:38:19 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. South Korea’s ex-president Yoon sentenced to life in prison for insurrection A South Korean court on Thursday found former president Yoon Suk-yeol guilty of insurrection and sentenced him to life in prison over his short-lived martial law decree that plunged the country... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3344403/south-korean-ex-president-sentenced-buddhas-early-life-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3344403/south-korean-ex-president-sentenced-buddhas-early-life-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 04:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk-yeol has filed an appeal against his life sentence for insurrection stemming from his 2024 martial law declaration, his lawyers said on Tuesday. The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday found Yoon guilty of leading an insurrection designed to “paralyse” the National Assembly, sentencing him to life in prison. “We believe we have a responsibility to clearly place on record the problems with this ruling – not only in the court’s records, but also before... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344401/south-korean-ex-president-yoon-appeals-against-excessive-life-sentence-insurrection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344401/south-korean-ex-president-yoon-appeals-against-excessive-life-sentence-insurrection?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 03:13:55 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Ousted South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday remained defiant in his first reaction to a life sentence for rebellion handed down by a Seoul court the previous day. In a statement released by his lawyers, Yoon maintained that his abrupt and short-lived declaration of martial law in December 2024 was done “solely for the sake of the nation and our people”, and dismissed the Seoul Central District Court as biased against him. Yoon, who was removed from office amid a political crisis set... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344132/south-koreas-yoon-calls-court-biased-after-life-sentence-rebellion-fight-not-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344132/south-koreas-yoon-calls-court-biased-after-life-sentence-rebellion-fight-not-over?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:47:39 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Why the growing network of American MQ-9 drones is a challenge for China America’s increasing use of MQ-9 drones near China poses a challenge to Beijing and makes it more urgent for the People’s Liberation Army to improve... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3344059/us-drone-presence-worries-china-top-neuroscientist-moves-shenzhen-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3344059/us-drone-presence-worries-china-top-neuroscientist-moves-shenzhen-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 04:34:09 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A South Korean court on Thursday found former president Yoon Suk-yeol guilty of insurrection and sentenced him to life in prison over his short-lived martial law decree that plunged the country into its most serious constitutional crisis in decades. The verdict, delivered by a three-judge panel of the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 25, was the harshest and most consequential ruling yet stemming from Yoon’s brief imposition of martial law on December 3, 2024, and the events... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343989/south-koreas-ex-president-yoon-found-guilty-insurrection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343989/south-koreas-ex-president-yoon-found-guilty-insurrection?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 06:58:05 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Two recent convictions tied to Yoon Suk-yeol’s short-lived 2024 martial law decree have effectively sealed his fate, some legal observers say, as judges prepare to rule on the insurrection charge against the former South Korean president. On Thursday, a three-judge panel at the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 25 is set to deliver its verdict and sentence on the 65-year-old, weighing the prosecution’s request for the death penalty and any mitigating factors. The ruling will test... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343837/south-koreas-yoon-awaits-verdict-insurrection-rulings-mount-game-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343837/south-koreas-yoon-awaits-verdict-insurrection-rulings-mount-game-over?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea on Friday threatened a “terrible response” if it detects any more drones buzzing across the border from the South. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has sought to repair ties with North Korea since taking office last year, criticising his predecessor for allegedly sending drones to scatter propaganda over Pyongyang. But North Korea said it shot down a surveillance drone just last month, an incident which threatens to blight Lee’s efforts to patch things up. Kim Yo-jong, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3343409/north-korea-threatens-dire-consequences-if-seoul-doesnt-stop-drone-incursions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3343409/north-korea-threatens-dire-consequences-if-seoul-doesnt-stop-drone-incursions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 04:40:08 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A South Korean court sentenced former first lady Kim Keon-hee to 20 months in prison for corruption on Wednesday but acquitted her of alleged stock manipulation and other charges. While the ruling marked the first time that both members of a presidential couple were convicted of crimes in South Korea, analysts described Kim’s lighter punishment as a “courtroom victory” after prosecutors sought a 15-year jail term, a 2 billion won (US$1.4 million) fine and 948 million won in forfeiture for the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341511/south-koreas-ex-first-lady-kim-keon-hee-gets-20-months-jail-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341511/south-koreas-ex-first-lady-kim-keon-hee-gets-20-months-jail-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 06:27:00 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Former South Korean prime minister Han Duck-soo’s conviction and unexpectedly harsh prison sentence have sent shock waves through the political establishment and darkened the outlook for impeached ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol, who faces his own insurrection verdict next month. Analysts say the ruling dismantles Yoon’s legal narrative that his short-lived martial law decree was a legitimate exercise of presidential authority and signals that the courts are prepared to impose heavy penalties for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3340769/fate-south-koreas-yoon-almost-foregone-conclusion-after-hans-shock-prison-term?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3340769/fate-south-koreas-yoon-almost-foregone-conclusion-after-hans-shock-prison-term?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 04:00:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A South Korean court sentenced former prime minister Han Duck-soo to 23 years in prison on Wednesday for aiding and abetting a declaration of martial law that briefly suspended civilian rule. The defendant “disregarded his duty and responsibility as prime minister until the very end”, said Judge Lee Jin-gwan of the Seoul Central District Court. “We sentence the defendant to 23 years in prison.” The sentence is eight years longer than prosecutors’ demand. The 76-year-old career technocrat was... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340661/south-koreas-ex-pm-han-gets-23-years-prison-insurrection-tied-martial-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340661/south-koreas-ex-pm-han-gets-23-years-prison-insurrection-tied-martial-law?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 06:26:49 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday ordered an investigation into claims that the country’s military intelligence command supported a civilian accused of sending drones into North Korea. The civilian at the centre of the allegations, a graduate student in his thirties identified only by his surname Oh, claims he flew drones into North Korea three times since September last year. He previously worked in ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol’s office and allegedly received – according to local... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340527/south-korea-probes-if-spies-funded-drones-flown-north-student?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340527/south-korea-probes-if-spies-funded-drones-flown-north-student?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 07:27:00 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Impeached former South Korean president Yoon Seok-yeol was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday after being found guilty of resisting arrest and other offences linked to his attempted imposition of martial law in 2024. The verdict marks Yoon’s first conviction among eight ongoing criminal trials, in one of which prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for his alleged role as the “ringleader” of an attempted insurrection. The 2024 decree unleashed a wave of political unrest, triggering... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340120/south-koreas-yoon-gets-5-years-prison-obstructing-justice-during-martial-law-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340120/south-koreas-yoon-gets-5-years-prison-obstructing-justice-during-martial-law-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 06:08:56 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong When prosecutors in South Korea demanded the death penalty for ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol, he shook his head in disbelief and let out a contemptuous laugh – a moment that encapsulated his defiant posture throughout nine months of hearings. Yoon stands accused of being the “ringleader” of an insurrection stemming from his failed martial law bid in 2024 that plunged the country into political chaos. The public gallery, packed with Yoon’s supporters, erupted into protests, forcing the presiding... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339807/south-koreas-yoon-could-become-martyr-if-given-death-penalty-observers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339807/south-koreas-yoon-could-become-martyr-if-given-death-penalty-observers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 02:58:49 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press 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 related to his time in office. Charges that he directed a rebellion are the most significant ones. Independent counsel Cho... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3339781/south-korean-prosecutors-demand-death-penalty-yoon-suk-yeol-over-martial-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3339781/south-korean-prosecutors-demand-death-penalty-yoon-suk-yeol-over-martial-law?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 13:18:58 +0000 Reuters Reuters A South Korean government-commissioned report found the Jeju Air plane crash in December 2024 that killed ‍179 people might not have been deadly if there had not been a concrete mound at the end of the runway, an opposition lawmaker said. The Boeing 737-800 coming from Bangkok belly-landed and overran the runway at Muan International Airport, killing almost everyone on board after it struck a concrete support for a localiser antenna. The ⁠only survivors were two flight attendants at the far rear... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3339343/jeju-air-crash-man-made-179-deaths-may-have-been-avoided-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3339343/jeju-air-crash-man-made-179-deaths-may-have-been-avoided-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:28:38 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea’s conservative People Power Party (PPP) has issued a belated apology for Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed attempt to impose martial law – more than a year after it sparked a constitutional crisis that toppled his government. Yet analysts described the gesture as a tactical retreat by the ex-president’s former party, aimed at salvaging electoral fortunes rather than confronting its role in the fiasco. Delivered on Wednesday by PPP chairman Jang Dong-hyuk, the apology laid bare the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339055/south-koreas-conservatives-attempt-break-yoon-martial-law-apology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339055/south-koreas-conservatives-attempt-break-yoon-martial-law-apology?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Fan Chen,Alyssa Chen Fan Chen,Alyssa Chen South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will make a state visit to China next week as the two countries try to find a way through their intense economic rivalry to improve ties. The trip will make Lee the first sitting South Korean president to travel to China since 2019, and will include a three-day stop in Beijing from Sunday, a presidential official in Seoul said on Tuesday. Lee will meet President Xi Jinping in the Chinese capital before heading to Shanghai and then back to Seoul. The talks... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338188/south-koreas-lee-jae-myung-visit-china-economic-and-nuclear-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338188/south-koreas-lee-jae-myung-visit-china-economic-and-nuclear-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 11:26:10 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Long-rumoured allegations surrounding South Korea’s former first lady, Kim Keon-hee, were laid out in unprecedented detail after a special prosecutor concluded a six-month investigation into her conduct, offering official clarity but leaving key questions unresolved. The findings, presented to the public on Monday, offered the clearest official account yet of claims that Kim, the wife of ousted former president Yoon Suk-yeol, abused her proximity to power – from accepting luxury gifts to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338064/probe-south-koreas-kim-keon-hee-ends-unresolved-issues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338064/probe-south-koreas-kim-keon-hee-ends-unresolved-issues?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 00:00:20 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Prosecutors on Friday demanded a 10-year prison sentence for former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol in the first of four trials linked to his failed attempt to impose martial law, as a potential ruling against Yoon next month could keep him behind bars even before his most serious case is concluded. This first case focuses on Yoon’s actions before and after the martial law decree was issued on December 3 last year, including obstructing his arrest, bypassing Cabinet procedures and forging... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337790/south-koreas-ex-president-yoon-faces-10-year-jail-over-first-4-failed-coup-trials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337790/south-koreas-ex-president-yoon-faces-10-year-jail-over-first-4-failed-coup-trials?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 07:08:07 +0000 Hannan Hussain Hannan Hussain Seoul has been putting its weight behind lowering the temperature on stalled US-North Korea denuclearisation talks. The issue remains fraught with tension: Washington has grown increasingly sceptical of the prospect of Pyongyang’s complete denuclearisation and attempts to engage North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have met with limited success. For Pyongyang, any discussion of its nuclear programme appears to be a red line. Kim has brooked no compromise on the issue, which is domestically important... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3336536/seoul-holds-key-us-north-korea-denuclearisation-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3336536/seoul-holds-key-us-north-korea-denuclearisation-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Two former senior aides to South Korea’s ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol have testified in court that Yoon pressed ahead with a plan to impose martial law despite objections from cabinet members and top officials, with their statements offering a rare insight into the events that led to the short-lived decree. Testimony by former National Security Office chief Shin Won-sik and former presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk on Monday shed new light on Yoon’s thinking behind his martial law... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337524/yoons-ex-aides-disbelief-over-south-korean-martial-law-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337524/yoons-ex-aides-disbelief-over-south-korean-martial-law-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 00:00:08 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea’s rival political parties are set to appoint special prosecutors to investigate allegations that the Unification Church bribed and lobbied politicians across the ideological divide, a rare move that observers have said could test the country’s constitutional separation of religion and politics. On Monday, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said it would accept a proposal from the conservative opposition People Power Party (PPP) for the team of special prosecutors to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337368/south-korean-politicians-agree-unification-church-special-probe-rare-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337368/south-korean-politicians-agree-unification-church-special-probe-rare-move?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 01:30:14 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee In a bid to overhaul their economic relationship, China and South Korea are reviving long-stalled trade talks, with an eye on moving beyond factory floors to target the lucrative services sector as geopolitical shifts redraw the region’s alliances. The thaw follows a December 12 agreement between Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan to accelerate negotiations on the second phase of their free-trade agreement (FTA). The push aims... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3337086/blackpink-ayumi-why-china-may-reward-south-koreas-soft-stance-amid-japan-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3337086/blackpink-ayumi-why-china-may-reward-south-koreas-soft-stance-amid-japan-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 02:00:09 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong More than a year after former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed attempt to impose martial law, the country’s top court has announced changes to how politically explosive cases are handled, as public anger over delays and alleged bias continues to mount. The Supreme Court said it would revamp procedures for high-stakes national security trials, including cases stemming from Yoon’s December 2024 martial law bid, in what it described as an effort to ensure swift and fair proceedings and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3336964/south-koreas-top-court-overhauls-handling-martial-law-trials-regain-public-trust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3336964/south-koreas-top-court-overhauls-handling-martial-law-trials-regain-public-trust?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Thursday formally removed the country’s impeached police chief for deploying hundreds of officers to support ousted former president Yoon Suk-yeol’s brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. The court said Cho Ji-ho “actively disrupted” legislative activities by deploying hundreds of police officers to the National Assembly and trying to block lawmakers from reaching the main chamber to vote to lift Yoon’s decree. Cho also infringed upon the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3336937/south-koreas-police-chief-removed-supporting-yoon-suk-yeols-martial-law-plot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3336937/south-koreas-police-chief-removed-supporting-yoon-suk-yeols-martial-law-plot?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:19:00 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times A group of lawmakers from South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party is seeking to relax a decades-old ban on North Korean websites like the online Rodong Sinmun, reigniting debate over national security and freedom of information. The proposed revision, drafted by Representative Han Min-soo and 11 other lawmakers, would allow people in South Korea to freely visit North Korean websites, while maintaining existing bans on distributing or actively promoting content that violates the National Security... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3336763/south-korea-reopens-bitter-debate-lifting-ban-north-korean-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3336763/south-korea-reopens-bitter-debate-lifting-ban-north-korean-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 08:55:01 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Once South Korea’s top prosecutor and head of state, Yoon Suk-yeol now faces the courtroom reckoning of a lifetime, as successive rulings brand his failed attempt to impose martial law “unconstitutional and unlawful”, setting the stage for a verdict that could carry the death penalty. In one of the most consequential legal findings since the country’s return to democracy in 1987, the 21st Criminal Court of Seoul Central District Court on Monday declared that the 2024 martial law decree... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336740/south-korean-court-rules-yoons-martial-law-illegal-walls-close?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336740/south-korean-court-rules-yoons-martial-law-illegal-walls-close?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 07:02:56 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk-yeol began plotting to impose martial law barely a year after taking office, aiming to cling to power by provoking a military confrontation with North Korea, special investigators have found. Announcing the results of a 180-day investigation on Monday, special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk said Yoon and his closest aides had devised a scheme to form a military junta, suspend democratic institutions, seize control of the legislature and judiciary and eliminate all... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336443/martial-law-plot-was-yoons-plan-all-along-south-korean-prosecutors-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336443/martial-law-plot-was-yoons-plan-all-along-south-korean-prosecutors-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 05:44:52 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea is bracing for a showdown between political power and religious influence, as a widening bribery scandal linked to the Unification Church has thrust President Lee Jae-myung into a battle over how far the state should go in policing faith-based organisations. With allegations of illicit lobbying spreading across the country’s two major political parties, Lee has ordered a review of whether religious groups accused of systematic election interference and covert funding networks can be... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335911/south-koreas-threat-dissolve-corrupt-religious-groups-risks-political-blowback?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335911/south-koreas-threat-dissolve-corrupt-religious-groups-risks-political-blowback?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:13 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea’s decision to return its presidential office to the Blue House, undoing Yoon Suk-yeol’s costly relocation, has reopened old questions over the superstitions said to have driven the impeached ex-president’s decision. The move is widely viewed as rolling back a legacy tarnished by the former leader’s failed attempt to impose martial law last year. Yoon had insisted on moving his office despite the high costs to taxpayers and security concerns. “The presidential office will leave behind... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3335717/shaman-rumours-resurface-south-korea-returns-blue-house?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3335717/shaman-rumours-resurface-south-korea-returns-blue-house?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:09 +0000 Jayson Albano Jayson Albano December 3 was the one-year anniversary of then-President Yoon Suk-yeol’s temporary declaration of martial law in South Korea. To mark the occasion, more than 200 people were led on a tour of the National Assembly, which was seized by troops during the political crisis that shook the country. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3335215/south-korea-parliament-hosts-dark-tour-martial-law-crisis-anniversary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3335215/south-korea-parliament-hosts-dark-tour-martial-law-crisis-anniversary?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 10:15:36 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea’s special prosecutors have sought a 15-year jail term for former first lady Kim Keon-hee, describing her as someone who has long been “beyond the reach of law enforcement”. Kim, the wife of impeached ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol, faces multiple corruption allegations, including stock manipulation, bribery and illegal electioneering. The court’s verdict is set for January 28. The demand on Wednesday came about three months after Kim was indicted – just a year following Yoon’s botched... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335142/south-koreas-kim-keon-hee-feels-wronged-many-ways-prosecutors-seek-15-year-jail-term?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335142/south-koreas-kim-keon-hee-feels-wronged-many-ways-prosecutors-seek-15-year-jail-term?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 03:50:39 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Yoon Suk-yeol’s botched attempt to impose martial law last year plunged South Korea into its worst political crisis in decades, providing fertile ground for disinformation to grow. A common refrain, posted on right-wing forums, amplified by YouTubers and echoed by lawmakers: China was to blame. Yoon supporters claimed Beijing had infiltrated protests, funded his impeachment campaign and manipulated online opinion ahead of the June snap election that brought opposition leader Lee Jae-myung to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3335047/how-south-koreas-political-crisis-was-fuelled-anti-china-disinformation-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3335047/how-south-koreas-political-crisis-was-fuelled-anti-china-disinformation-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 10:18:07 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday praised the citizens who confronted martial law troops a year ago, saying their collective defence of democracy made them worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. Speaking at a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the attempt by impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol to impose military rule, Lee described the incident as an unprecedented test of South Korea’s democracy that the public overcame peacefully. “I am convinced that we, the people of the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335000/south-koreans-deserve-nobel-peace-prize-stopping-martial-law-president-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335000/south-koreans-deserve-nobel-peace-prize-stopping-martial-law-president-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 04:44:33 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A year after former president Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law, South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is pushing ahead with a bill to create a separate court dedicated to handling cases linked to the decree, in response to widespread public distrust of what critics describe as a “biased” judiciary. President Lee Jae-myung warned on social media ahead of the December 3 anniversary of the decree: “If we leave hidden acts of insurrection as they are, insurrection will certainly... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3334859/south-korea-proposes-separate-court-tackle-martial-law-decree-cases-after-cries-bias?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3334859/south-korea-proposes-separate-court-tackle-martial-law-decree-cases-after-cries-bias?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse When South Korea’s leader declared martial law a year ago, one young woman blocked a tank, a civil servant resigned in protest and a lawmaker switched sides to remove him from office. They are among the many South Koreans whose lives were transformed on December 3, 2024. That wintry night, then president Yoon Suk-yeol interrupted national television broadcasts to suspend civilian rule for the first time in more than four decades. Soldiers and tanks deployed in central Seoul. Troops landed by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3334845/year-south-koreas-martial-law-upheaval-some-lives-are-changed-forever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3334845/year-south-koreas-martial-law-upheaval-some-lives-are-changed-forever?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 03:34:51 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The leader of one of South Korea’s largest cultlike churches stood trial on Monday accused of bribing the country’s former first lady with gifts including a designer handbag and a diamond necklace. The arrest of leader Han Hak-ja in September rocked the Unification Church, which claims to have 10 million followers worldwide and controls a sprawling business empire. The 82-year-old defendant, known to her followers as “holy mother”, also faces corruption charges over cash payments to a lawmaker... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3334732/south-korean-unification-church-leader-denies-knowing-about-bribes-kim-keon-hee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3334732/south-korean-unification-church-leader-denies-knowing-about-bribes-kim-keon-hee?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 05:44:23 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A court ruling on the case of former South Korean prime minister Han Duck-soo in January next year will serve as a bellwether for others charged over impeached former president Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed martial law decree, observers say. On Wednesday, the special counsel team investigating insurrection charges related to Yoon’s December 3 decree demanded a 15-year prison term for Han, the 77-year-old political veteran accused of helping “mastermind” the attempted self-coup. Senior Judge Lee... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3334320/fate-south-koreas-han-duck-soo-set-tone-yoon-others-martial-law-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3334320/fate-south-koreas-han-duck-soo-set-tone-yoon-others-martial-law-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 01:30:19 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A mounting series of corruption and influence-peddling allegations against South Korea’s former first lady, Kim Keon-hee, is fuelling accusations that an unelected figure exerted unlawful control over state affairs. Investigators and analysts alike now question whether Kim leveraged her proximity to the presidency to meddle in personnel appointments and criminal investigations – including one targeting herself – and may even have influenced her husband Yoon Suk-yeol’s ill-fated martial law... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3334233/was-kim-keon-hee-catalyst-south-koreas-martial-law-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3334233/was-kim-keon-hee-catalyst-south-koreas-martial-law-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:16 +0000