South Korea's martial law crisis and President Yoon's impeachment and trial

Gone quiet · last story Jul 9, 2026

What this arc covers

President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law in South Korea in December 2024 and what followed: parliament's vote lifting it, his impeachment, his standoff with investigators and his arrest, his indictment for insurrection and his release from jail, the Constitutional Court's ruling upholding his removal and the election called to replace him, and the trials and sentences of Yoon and his officials, including over drones sent over North Korea.

South Korea

Earliest story we hold Dec 3, 2024 · 41 stories · 196 independent sources (counted once each) · 583 days

Part ofSouth KoreaYoon Suk YeolNorth KoreaParliament of the United KingdomPyongyang

Part of South Korea

  1. South Korea's martial law crisis and President Yoon's impeachment and trialThis arcDec 3, 2024 – Jul 9, 2026
  2. South Korea's 2025 snap election won by Lee Jae-myungApr 8, 2025 – Sep 22, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Jul 92026South Korea's Supreme Court upholds prison sentence for Yoon in first martial law case10 articles · 10 independent sources
0 left, 3 center, 0 right
Jun 122026Former South Korea president Yoon Suk Yeol sentenced to 30 years in prison for sending drones over Pyongyang7 articles · 7 independent sources
1 left, 2 center, 2 right
Apr 292026South Korean court sentences ex-President Yoon to 7 years in prison5 articles · 5 independent sources
2 left, 1 center, 1 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Dec 3 – 4, 2024Yoon’s martial law declaration sparks chaos in South Korea134 articles · 69 independent sources
  2. Dec 4 – 7, 2024South Korean President Yoon’s impeachment vote fails after ruling party boycotts it68 articles · 32 independent sources
  3. Dec 12 – 14, 2024South Korea's parliament votes to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol77 articles · 45 independent sources
  4. Jan 14 – 15, 2025South Korean officials detain impeached President Yoon on second attempt60 articles · 39 independent sources
  5. Jan 14 – 19, 2025South Korea’s impeached president is arrested over a martial law declaration as his supporters riot57 articles · 33 independent sources
    1. Jan 14, 2025South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol arrested as agencies probe his short-lived martial law decree
    2. Jan 18, 2025South Korea’s impeached president is arrested over martial law declaration and his supporters riot
  6. Jan 23 – 27, 2025South Korea president indicted for insurrection over martial law decree42 articles · 37 independent sources
    1. Jan 23, 2025South Korean Investigators Call for Indictment of Detained President Yoon
    2. Jan 27, 2025What to expect after South Korean president's indictment on rebellion charges
  7. Apr 3 – 4, 2025South Korean court upholds President Yoon's impeachment over martial law order51 articles · 35 independent sources

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Dec 2024Mar 2025Jul 2025Nov 2025Mar 2026Jul 2026

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Dec 2, 2024235414279
Dec 9, 202415399170
Dec 16, 202409223
Dec 23, 20240218
Dec 30, 202410237113
Jan 6, 202528120
Jan 13, 202513307126
Jan 20, 2025710339
Jan 27, 202503310
Feb 24, 20250304
Mar 3, 2025512340
Mar 31, 2025614649
Jul 7, 20250207
Jul 14, 20251214
Nov 10, 20250203
Jan 12, 202644419
Jan 19, 20261124
Feb 16, 202659437
Apr 27, 20262115
Jun 8, 20261226
Jul 6, 20260309

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

21% left · 68% center · 11% right of 196 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 41 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. December 2024

    Dec 3South Korean Parliament Votes to Defy President by Lifting His Declaration of Martial Law5 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 1 right
  2. Dec 3– 4Yoon’s martial law declaration sparks chaos in South Korea134 articles · 69 independent sources
    17 left, 26 center, 11 right
  3. Dec 3– 4South Korean Lawmakers Seek to Impeach President Over Martial Law41 articles · 26 independent sources
    3 left, 12 center, 4 right
  4. Dec 4– 7South Korean President Yoon’s impeachment vote fails after ruling party boycotts it68 articles · 32 independent sources
    7 left, 17 center, 4 right
  5. Dec 4– 6South Korea's governing party head supports suspending Yoon's powers, making impeachment more likely16 articles · 15 independent sources
    2 left, 6 center, 3 right
  6. Dec 5Yoon replaces the defense minister as South Korea's parliament moves to vote on their impeachments9 articles · 7 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 1 right
  7. Dec 5– 12South Korea's Yoon defends martial law as an act of governance and vows to 'fight to the end'32 articles · 23 independent sources
    2 left, 7 center, 7 right
  8. Dec 7South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol apologizes after abortive imposition of martial law10 articles · 9 independent sources
    2 left, 4 center, 1 right
  9. Dec 8– 10South Korean Prosecutors Seek to Arrest Ex-Defense Minister over Imposition of Martial Law30 articles · 23 independent sources
    2 left, 8 center, 2 right
  10. Dec 9South Korea’s Justice Ministry imposes a travel ban on President Yoon over martial law35 articles · 27 independent sources
    3 left, 10 center, 2 right
  11. Dec 10– 11Ex-defense chief in South Korea tried to kill himself after being arrested over martial law23 articles · 20 independent sources
    0 left, 8 center, 3 right
  12. Dec 11South Korea police raid President Yoon’s office over martial law as ousted minister attempts suicide9 articles · 8 independent sources
    1 left, 3 center, 2 right
  13. Dec 12– 14South Korea's parliament votes to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol77 articles · 45 independent sources
    10 left, 13 center, 6 right
  14. Dec 13– 17Political strife erupts over South Korean court as it is set to determine the fate of impeached Yoon47 articles · 27 independent sources
    2 left, 16 center, 3 right
  15. Dec 26South Korean opposition submits motion to impeach the country's acting president as strife deepens10 articles · 10 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 1 right
  16. Dec 30– Jan 3South Korea's impeached president defies warrant in hourslong standoff42 articles · 26 independent sources
    2 left, 13 center, 3 right
  17. Dec 30– 31South Korean court approves arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol49 articles · 34 independent sources
    1 left, 15 center, 4 right

  18. January 2025

    Jan 2– 8South Korean president continues evading arrest49 articles · 29 independent sources
    4 left, 12 center, 4 right
  19. Jan 5South Korean protesters brave cold to demand Yoon's ouster as detention deadline looms8 articles · 8 independent sources
    3 left, 0 center, 1 right
  20. Jan 12– 14Impeachment trial of South Korean President Yoon to begin15 articles · 11 independent sources
    1 left, 4 center, 0 right
  21. Jan 14– 18South Korean court extends President Yoon’s detention, angering supporters5 articles · 4 independent sources
    2 left, 2 center, 0 right
  22. Jan 14– 15South Korean officials detain impeached President Yoon on second attempt60 articles · 39 independent sources
    4 left, 15 center, 5 right
  23. Jan 14– 19South Korea’s impeached president is arrested over a martial law declaration as his supporters riot57 articles · 33 independent sources
    8 left, 15 center, 6 right
  24. Jan 18– 21South Korea's Yoon defends his martial law decree in his first public appearance since his arrest18 articles · 12 independent sources
    2 left, 5 center, 1 right
  25. Jan 23– 27South Korea president indicted for insurrection over martial law decree42 articles · 37 independent sources
    6 left, 10 center, 6 right
  26. Jan 23South Korea investigators want Yoon formally charged – DW5 articles · 4 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 0 right

  27. February 2025

    Feb 25South Korea's Yoon faces last impeachment hearing over martial law7 articles · 4 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 0 right

  28. March 2025

    Mar 7– 9Impeached South Korean leader freed from prison25 articles · 20 independent sources
    3 left, 9 center, 3 right
  29. Mar 7Court orders impeached South Korean president released from jail20 articles · 16 independent sources
    2 left, 5 center, 1 right

  30. April 2025

    Apr 1South Korea’s Constitutional Court Will Rule Friday on Yoon's Impeachment6 articles · 6 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 1 right
  31. Apr 3– 4South Korean court upholds President Yoon's impeachment over martial law order51 articles · 35 independent sources
    6 left, 11 center, 5 right

  32. July 2025

    Jul 10South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk Yeol back in custody over insurrection probe8 articles · 8 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 0 right
  33. Jul 19South Korea’s ousted President Yoon indicted on additional criminal charges over martial law5 articles · 5 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 1 right

  34. November 2025

    Nov 10South Korea's ousted leader Yoon indicted for flying drones over North Korea5 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 0 right

  35. January 2026

    Jan 13– 16South Korean Court Sentences Yoon to 5 Years in Prison on Charges Related to Martial Law Decree20 articles · 15 independent sources
    3 left, 3 center, 4 right
  36. Jan 13South Korean prosecutors demand death penalty for former president Yoon Suk Yeol6 articles · 5 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 1 right
  37. Jan 21Former South Korean premier is sentenced to 23 years in jail in case related to martial law6 articles · 6 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 2 right

  38. February 2026

    Feb 19– 20Former South Korean president sentenced to life for attempted insurrection40 articles · 29 independent sources
    5 left, 9 center, 4 right

  39. April 2026

    Apr 29South Korean court sentences ex-President Yoon to 7 years in prison5 articles · 5 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 1 right

  40. June 2026

  41. July 2026

    Jul 9South Korea's Supreme Court upholds prison sentence for Yoon in first martial law case10 articles · 10 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 0 right