Yoon Suk Yeol

Early life and education

Yoon was born in Bomun-dong, Seongbuk District, Seoul, in 1960, and raised in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun District. His father, Yoon Ki Joong, was born in Nonsan, and was a professor emeritus of economics at Yonsei University and a full member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Korea. His mother, Choi Seong-ja, was born in Gangneung, and was a lecturer at Ewha Womans University before leaving the position after getting married.

Yoon attended Daegwang Elementary School and Joongrang Middle School, transferring to Chungam Middle School after finishing eighth grade. After graduating from Chungam High School in 1979, he studied law at Seoul National University where he earned a Bachelor of Laws in 1983 and a Master of Laws in 1988. Shortly after the Gwangju Uprising in 1980, Yoon and his colleagues held a mock trial where he acted as a prosecutor, demanding life imprisonment for President Chun Doo-hwan. Fearing imprisonment for his role in the mock trial, Yoon fled to Gangwon Province.

Yoon was exempted in 1982 from national service due to anisometropia. Yoon later stated that he was unable to obtain a driver's license because of the condition. After passing the first part of the bar exam in his fourth year of university, Yoon continued to attempt the second part over the next nine years. He eventually passed the bar in 1991, placing him in the same graduating class as Democratic Party Assemblyman and Minister of Justice Park Beom-kye.

History with Kim Yong-hyun

In 1977, while attending Chungam High School, Yoon met Kim Yong-hyun, the future Minister of National Defense, who was one year his senior and was the head of the Student Defense Corps. The student defense corps was an organization created by the South Korean government in 1975 to replace the student council, to "establish an all-out security system for the school system." Kim explained his relationship with Yoon in an interview, saying, "I heard there was a junior who was good at studying and had a sense of duty, so I called him out of curiosity and asked to meet him." After Kim entered the Korea Military Academy, he lost contact with Yoon. Years later, through an alumni association, they found each other again and stayed in contact.

However, the two did not become close friends until 2020, after Yoon was suspended from his prosecutor general duties by Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae. Yoon, who was living a life of exile due to the suspension, called Kim over to have a drink. Here, Kim and Yoon had a conversation about prominent political South Korean figures, which reportedly got Yoon interested in running for president. After Yoon announced his campaign, Kim told him; "If you want to win the election, you need to build a campaign centered around Chungam High School alumni and Seoul National University alumni, people who aren't from the prosecution." This allegedly led to the two forming the Chungam Faction after Yoon became president.

Prosecutorial career

Early career

Yoon started his career at Daegu Public Prosecutor's Office in 1994. He headed the Special Branch and Central Investigation Department, both of which investigate corruption-related cases. In 1999, he ordered the arrest of Police Assistant Commissioner Park Hui-won, who was corrupt despite strong objections from bureaucrats in the Kim Dae-jung cabinet.

In January 2002, Yoon worked briefly as a lawyer at Bae, Kim & Lee but left because he felt the position was unsuitable. Upon his return as a prosecutor, he prosecuted pro-Roh Moo-hyun figures such as Ahn Hee-jung and Kang Keum-won. In 2006, he apprehended Chung Mong-koo for his complicity in a slush fund case at Hyundai Motor Company. In 2008, he worked for the independent counsel team resolving the BBK incident related to President Lee Myung-bak.

In 2013, Yoon led a special investigation team that looked into the National Intelligence Service (NIS)'s involvement in the 2012 NIS public opinion manipulation scandal. Yoon sought the prosecution of the former head of the NIS, Won Sei-hoon, for violating the Public Official Election Act. He also accused Justice Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn of influencing his investigation. As a result, he was demoted from the Seoul prosecutors' office to the Daegu and Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office.

Yoon later became head of investigations in the special prosecutor team of Park Young-soo, which investigated allegations of the 2016 Choi Soon-sil scandal involving Choi, Samsung vice-chairman Lee Jae-yong, and then-president Park Geun-hye, which led to the impeachment of the president in December 2016.

On 19 May 2017, the newly elected president Moon Jae-in appointed Yoon as chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. The prosecution went on to indict two former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, three former NIS chiefs, former chief justice Yang Sung-tae, and more than 100 other former officials and business executives under his tenure. Yoon also led an investigation into accounting fraud at Samsung.

Prosecutor general

On 17 June 2019, Yoon was nominated as prosecutor general, replacing Moon Moo-il. His nomination was welcomed by the ruling Democratic Party and the Party for Democracy and Peace but was opposed by the Liberty Korea Party and the Bareunmirae Party. The minor party Justice Party remained neutral. On 16 July, he was officially appointed the new prosecutor general and started his term nine days later. President Moon ordered him to be neutral, adding that any kind of corruption must be strictly investigated in any and all areas of government.

During Yoon's leadership, the Supreme Prosecutor's Office launched investigations against Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, who was involved in various scandals. His decision to investigate Cho was welcomed by the conservative opposition but condemned by the Democratic Party and its supporters. The investigations led to Cho's resignation as Minister of Justice.

After Choo Mi-ae was appointed as the new minister of justice, she had taken action against several prosecutors close to Yoon. Choo attributed her decision to Yoon's failure to submit a reorganization plan for his department, which she had requested, but this was seen as retaliation by the Blue House for Cho Kuk's prosecution.

In April 2020, Democratic Party lawmakers again attacked Yoon and called on him to resign after the prosecution had started investigations into election law violation cases involving both ruling and opposition politicians and suspected election rigging of the Ulsan mayoral race for Mayor Song Cheol-ho in 2018 by senior secretaries at the Blue House.

Opposition politicians also accused Yoon of refusing to raid the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which had been accused of spreading COVID-19 in South Korea, after he had received advice from a shaman.

On 24 November 2020, Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae suspended Yoon from his position, citing alleged ethical violations, abuse of power, and interference in investigations of his associates and family members. Yoon then filed an injunction against the minister's suspension order, which was approved by the Seoul Administrative Court on 1 December, temporarily halting the suspension. On 16 December, the Ministry of Justice imposed a two-month suspension on Yoon, accepting four of six major charges for disciplinary action. The decision was subsequently approved by President Moon. However, on 24 December, following an injunction filed at the Seoul Administrative Court, the suspension was overturned as the court accepted Yoon's claim that the process to suspend him had been unfair.

2022 presidential election

Yoon had been considered a potential presidential candidate for the 2022 presidential election ever since the aftermath of the Cho Kuk controversies, appearing as a significant candidate in general election opinion polls since at least January 2020. In a January 2021 poll including all possible presidential candidates, Yoon led as the most favored with 30.4 percent of the vote, more than the individual supports for the ruling Democratic Party frontrunners Lee Jae Myung and Lee Nak-yon.

On 4 March 2021, Yoon tendered his resignation as the prosecutor general, which was accepted by President Moon. On 29 June 2021, Yoon officially announced his candidacy in the 2022 presidential election. On 12 July, he registered with the National Election Commission as an independent candidate.

On 30 July 2021, Yoon officially joined the conservative People Power Party (PPP), which was the main opposition party in South Korea. Prior to this, Yoon had been a political independent, although his popular support came primarily from conservatives. Yoon was welcomed into the PPP by Choi Jae-hyung, a fellow 2022 presidential candidate, in a small public ceremony at the PPP headquarters located in Yeouido, Seoul. Choi was the former head of the Board of Audit and Inspection and had also just recently joined the PPP, officially having become a member on 15 July. Yoon's welcoming ceremony into the People Power Party notably did not include recently elected party leader Lee Jun-seok, who had been outside of Seoul at the time.

During the primary election period, Yoon came under criticism for several perceived gaffes and controversial statements. In July, Yoon advocated for a 120-hour work week while critiquing President Moon's policy of the 52-hour maximum work week. Yoon also advocated for deregulating food safety standards because, in his opinion, "poor people should be allowed to eat substandard food for lower prices", citing economist Milton Friedman's 1980 book Free to Choose as the inspiration for the idea. In August, Yoon stated that South Korea's recent feminist movement was a significant contributing factor to the issue of the nation's low birth rates. Later that same week, Yoon claimed during an interview with Busan Ilbo that there was "basically no radiation leak" from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster because "the reactors themselves didn't collapse".

Presidency (2022–2025)

Relocation of presidential office

On 20 March 2022, Yoon announced that he would establish his presidential office in the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan District, Seoul, instead of the Blue House, which opened to the public as a park on 10 May 2022. He would take office that day. Newspaper The Hankyoreh accused Yoon of being frequently late to work, while sending decoy vehicles near 9:00 a.m., when work starts for governmental workers.

Economic policy

In 2023, Yoon attempted to raise South Korea's maximum weekly working hours from 52 to 69. However, widespread backlash, especially from the youth, led him to order government agencies to reconsider the plan.

The minimum wage for 2025 was set at 10,030 won per hour. Some labor representatives walked out in protest, saying the increase rate was too low, but most management and public interest representatives voted to adopt the minimum wage at 10,030 won.

Yoon administration emphasized sound fiscal policy and declared fiscal austerity policy. According to the 2022–2026 National Fiscal Management Plan, Yoon Suk Yeol government considered that the national debt increased rapidly due to the expanded fiscal management of the previous government. Yoon declared to stabilize the rate of increase in national debt and improve the government's deficit to secure 'fiscal sustainability'.

Yoon administration announced a plan to reform the fiscal rules proposed by the previous government into a "simpler and stricter fiscal rule." First, the administration simplified the management indicators, which had previously been based on a complex calculation formula. The management indicator was revised from the Consolidated fiscal balance to the stricter 'managed fiscal balance'. It excludes social security fund balance—which is currently in surplus—from the Consolidated Fiscal Balance. This change aimed to provide a more accurate reflection of the nation's fiscal reality and enable stricter management. Furthermore, the new fiscal rule aimed to enhance legal enforceability by incorporating it into a 'law'. The new fiscal rule also includes an exemption for situations where it is difficult to apply the rule; however, unlike before, the rule will be immediately reapplied once the crisis ends.

Under its fiscal austerity policy, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has asserted that government borrowing is inappropriate and that private investment should be encouraged instead. It aimed to establish a private-sector-led economy by using market autonomy and dynamism as drivers of economic growth. For example, the government committed 4.5 trillion KRW to key strategic technologies such as semiconductors and quantum, with a specific allocation of 1 trillion KRW to the semiconductor industry, demonstrating a strong intent to foster related talent and core technology development. Budgets supporting promising domestic venture companies and small business owners were also increased.

Energy policy

Responding to widespread public concerns after the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, President Moon Jae-in decided to gradually phase out nuclear power in South Korea. However, the nuclear policy was again reversed in 2023 by President Yoon Suk Yeol, resuming construction of nuclear reactors and expanding nuclear output to 34.6% share of South Korea's electricity generation by 2036. Yoon pledged to boost nuclear energy use and reduce carbon emissions by 40% from 2018 levels by 2030.

On 17 July 2024, the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power won the tender for the construction of two new units at Dukovany Nuclear Power Station in the Czech Republic. Yoon said: "We will use the Czech nuclear project as a stepping stone to further expand export opportunities for our nuclear industry."

Gender equality policy

Following an anti-feminist backlash in 2022, Yoon has acted in opposition to feminism in order to appeal to young men. Yoon has also said that structural sexism no longer exists in South Korea. He entered office with a pledge to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Political conflict related to issues of gender was intense in South Korea in 2022. He announced that the new government would not address gender as a collective issue but rather focus on and respond to specific individual issues.

As of May 2022, there were only three women among the State Councilors of the Yoon Suk Yeol government and only two women among the vice-ministerial level officials. This was criticized as a lack of women's representation in the government. In response to these criticisms, Yoon appointed Park Soon-ae as the Minister of Education and Kim Seung-hee as the Minister of Welfare, increasing the ratio of female-to-male ministers in the cabinet to 30%. However, Park Soon-ae resigned on 5 August, just 34 days into her tenure, and Yoon's approval rating had fallen from 30% to 24%, largely due to public backlash against Park's school reform plans.

2022 police bureau proposal

In late July 2022, Yoon proposed the creation of a "police bureau" in order to ensure greater government oversight of the police force. In response, several police officers protested, claiming the measure was a dictatorial measure to compromise the political neutrality of the police.

In response to the protests, Lee Sang-min, Yoon's Interior Minister, compared them to the 1979 Coup d'état of December Twelfth, though he later walked back the remarks. Yoon himself also criticized the protests, saying, "Like many, I am also deeply concerned about the collective protest of the police chiefs", and calling it a "serious breach" of police discipline.

Following the protests, the presidential office threatened to punish police officers. Additional remarks by Yoon Hee-keun, President Yoon's choice as Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, further inflamed tensions by suggesting that police should focus on wages rather than the establishment of a police bureau.

2022 Seoul crowd crush

On 29 October 2022, at least 158 people were crushed to death when a crowd surged in an alleyway during Halloween festivities in Seoul's Itaewon district. Yoon declared a state of official national mourning. His handling of the crowd crush garnered criticism.

Medical crisis

On 6 February 2024, Yoon announced that the enrollment quota for medical students would be increased from 3,058 to 5,058 students per academic year from 2025 onward. The quota had last been fixed in 2006. The announcement was met with opposition from the medical community, with the Korea Medical Association and Korea Intern Resident Association organizing intern and resident doctor strikes and resignations since 20 February 2024. They argued that the planned increase would not resolve the issues of inadequate manpower in rural areas but would increase the inequality of medical care between rural and urban areas.

Yoon gave an hour-long nation address to reaffirm the quota increase and appeal to the public. The government labeled the collective criticism and social advocacy of medical students, residents, and doctors as "doctors' illegal collective actions" and declared a national healthcare crisis of the highest risk level. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for Doctors' Collective Actions, led by the Prime Minister, was then established. The Emergency Response Headquarters conducted daily public briefings. Pro-government advertisements featured the president's commitment and included promotional videos in movie theater displays on public buses and subways, while screens inside apartment elevators criticized "emergency room ping-pong" and "pediatric clinic open run". Doctors and the medical community were portrayed as a self-serving cartel, a characterization cemented by the president in a national address.

2024 parliamentary elections

The opposition's landslide victory in the 2024 parliamentary elections put Yoon in an even weaker position. The PPP obtained 108 seats, 36% of the National Assembly, while the main opposition party, the DPK, won 175 seats in total. The remaining 17 seats are held by the other members of the 22nd Assembly.

Some have spoken of Yoon as a "lame duck" following the major defeat. He is the first president to see an assembly unfavorable to him during a whole presidency and especially an opposition that is growing in relation to the first part of the mandate. The Chairman of the PPP Emergency Committee, Han Dong-hoon, resigned following the defeat; several other major government figures also presented their resignation, including Yoon's Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

Yoon boycotted the opening of the inaugural session of the new National Assembly on 2 September, making him the first South Korean leader not to attend the ceremony since the restoration of democracy in 1988. His office said that he did not attend saying that the chamber "overissues demands for special prosecutor investigations and impeachments".

Foreign policy

In December 2022, the Yoon administration announced the Indo-Pacific Strategy, a comprehensive strategy that encompasses the economic and security spheres of Indo-Pacific countries: "We (South Korea) will work [towards] a regional order that enables a different set of countries to cooperate and procedures together." On 25 July 2023, Yoon visited Ukraine after visiting Lithuania and Poland for the NATO summit. He visited Bucha and Irpin, cities near the capital city of Kyiv. He also held the 2023 South Korea-Pacific Islands Summit and the 2024 South Korea-Africa Summit for the first time and has also been promoting the Korea-Central Asia Summit.

Additionally, Yoon has visited the United States and considered sending weapons to Ukraine following the invasion by Russia.

In October 2023, Yoon condemned the October 7 attacks. He sought to strengthen relations with Saudi Arabia and supported the participation of South Korean companies in Saudi Arabia's Neom smart city project. In February 2024, South Korea and Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding to expand defense cooperation.

As of December 2023, during his tenure so far, Yoon has made trips to twenty-six countries. He has met with fellow leaders, such as during the NATO Summit Madrid 2022, APEC Summit, G20, and G7.

Yoon later attended the NATO summit in Lithuania the following year. He also attended the United Nations General Assembly and Global Fund's Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York City; he additionally met with U.S. President Joe Biden.

Although South Korea is not a member of the G7, it is being considered as a potential next member if the G7 expands; it has also been promoting the G7 Plus initiative. At the G7 summit in May 2023, Yoon met with the leaders of the Quad nations and called for addressing regional challenges and providing infrastructure and development assistance. In his speech to G7 members, Yoon stressed South Korea's continued commitment to maintaining the international rule of law and the need to protect Ukraine's freedom and peace.

During U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to South Korea on 4 August 2022, which was part of a larger tour of Asia, Yoon snubbed a meeting with her, stating that he wanted to enjoy his vacation.

Controversies

The PPP sued four senior executives of broadcaster Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, including MBC TV head Park Sung-je, on grounds of defamation after news outlets initially reported that Yoon insulted the U.S. Congress. On 21 September 2022, after chatting with U.S. President Joe Biden outside the seventh Global Fund meeting in New York City, Yoon was filmed telling his aides and top diplomats, "Wouldn't [inaudible] lose face if these saekki do not pass it in the legislature?" Although the audio is hard to discern, MBC, which broke the story on air, determined in its subtitles that he said "Biden" in an apparent reference to the latter's bid to increase the American contribution to the Global Fund by $6 billion, an act that would require congressional approval. Yoon's office denies that he was talking about Biden or the U.S. Congress; instead, it claims that he was expressing concern that his country's opposition-controlled parliament would reject his plans for a $100 million contribution to the same fund, and his press secretary Kim Eun-hye suggested that the word he uttered was not "Biden", but "nallimyeon", a similar-sounding word that means "to blow or waste". The video swiftly went viral, having been viewed repeatedly by millions. The controversy has also brought press freedom in South Korea to the public eye over the PPP's civil conduct involving MBC, with some press freedom groups, including the International Federation of Journalists, criticizing the lawsuit as politically motivated. A poll of 1,002 adult Koreans found his approval rating falling to 27.7 percent, a 3.7 percent drop from three weeks before, and that the majority (61.2 percent) believed Yoon said "Biden" compared to the 26.9 percent who thought he said "nallimyeon"; another poll of 1,000 adult Koreans found an even greater majority (70.8 percent) who said that he should directly apologize for his profanity versus the 27.9 percent who said he did not need to apologize. The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs sued MBC "to restore trust in diplomacy"; this has been likened to the oppression of journalists by the Lee Myung-bak government in the past.

The decision by the Yoon administration to reduce South Korea's research and development (R&D) budget by 15% for 2024 compared to the previous year has caused significant uproar among researchers. There are growing concerns that this cutback might undermine South Korea's competitiveness in the global technology sector.

The move faced strong opposition, highlighted by an event at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). A student protested the budget reduction during a graduation ceremony while Yoon was giving his speech but was immediately restrained by bodyguards who were disguised as students.

Public approval

Less than three months into his presidency, Yoon's approval rating dropped to less than 30 percent amidst the 2021–2023 inflation surge, a controversial education policy rollout (including a proposal to lower the starting elementary school age from six to five), controversies over nepotism in personnel appointments, the police bureau proposal, and conflicts within the PPP. His popularity fell further to 19% in August. In December, Yoon's approval rating rose back to above 40% for the first time in five months. By April 2023, it dropped back to 30% largely due to widespread disapproval of Yoon's Japanese policy. In May 2024, Yoon recorded the lowest approval rating since he took office at a rate of 21%, with his economic and foreign policy, as well as his lack of communication, being cited as the main reasons for the low approval rating. In June and July 2024, over a million people signed a petition calling for Yoon to be impeached.

Following his brief attempt to declare martial law, a poll by Gallup held from 3 to 5 December 2024 found that Yoon's approval rating had fallen to 13% in part due to the declaration of martial law. A week later, Gallup found that his approval rating fell further to 11%.

Removal from office

Declaration of martial law

On 3 December 2024, Yoon attempted a self-coup by declaring martial law. During the declaration, he vowed to "rebuild a democratic and free Korea" after accusing other South Korean politicians of being "communist". As part of this, Yoon and Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun allegedly ordered the flying of drones into North Korea to provoke an armed conflict between the two countries, without the knowledge of the Ministry of National Defense or the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The decree was soon declared invalid by the National Assembly in a unanimous vote of 190–0; however, the military command stated that it would remain in place until the president lifted it. Hours after the National Assembly voted to rescind martial law, Yoon complied and lifted the declaration after his cabinet convened.

On 7 December 2024, Yoon issued an apology in a televised address following widespread criticism over his declaration of martial law. He expressed regret for the decision and assured the public that such actions would not be repeated. The incident led to political turmoil, with opposition leaders and some ruling party members calling for his resignation. On 8 December, Kim Yong-hyun was arrested for his role in the martial law order, after resigning from office three days prior.

Subsequent investigations revealed that President Yoon ordered Commander Kwak, and Capital Defense Commander Lee Jin-woo to break through the plenary chamber doors to drag the lawmakers out at 00:40 to 00:50 hours, which was too late as the lawmakers had begun the session to end martial law at that time. In the indictment of former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on 27 December by the special prosecution team, it also revealed Yoon told Commander Lee, "break down the doors, even if it means shooting" and "even if martial law is lifted, I just have to declare martial law two or three times, so keep going." Minister Kim also prioritized the arrests and detention of Lee Jae Myung, Woo Won-shik, and Han Dong-hoon from the National Assembly.

On 9 December 2024, the Ministry of Justice issued an overseas travel ban against Yoon following an investigation into allegations of rebellion linked to his brief imposition of martial law. A senior officer from the National Police Agency stated that Yoon could have faced detention if specific conditions were met. Although sitting South Korean presidents are generally immune from prosecution while in office, this immunity does not extend to accusations of rebellion or treason, leaving Yoon vulnerable to legal action over these serious charges.

Post-presidency (2025–present)

On 17 May 2025, Yoon left the People Power Party and endorsed its candidate, Kim Moon-soo, for the 2025 South Korean presidential election. On 21 May, he made his first public appearance without connection to his legal cases, attending the premiere in Seoul of a documentary on alleged electoral fraud in the 2024 parliamentary election.

Insurrection trial

The trial of Yoon for insurrection charges began on 14 April 2025. Yoon denied the charges, saying his attempt to impose martial law did not amount to an insurrection. If found guilty, Yoon faced the death penalty or life imprisonment, although there has been a moratorium on executions in South Korea since the country's last execution in 1997. On 23 May, police announced the seizure of Yoon's phones as part of its investigations into Yoon's attempted arrest in January 2025.

On 6 July 2025, South Korean prosecutors filed a request to detain Yoon a day after he appeared before them for questioning over his declaration of martial law last year. He was formally arrested again on 10 July 2025 and indicted for abuse of power on 19 July. On 18 July 2025, the Seoul District Court denied Yoon's request to be released from prison, with the additional indictment then requiring him to remain in prison for up to six months. In September, the court publicly announced that the insurrection trial should conclude by the end of the year.

On 13 January 2026, the prosecution sought the death penalty for Yoon. On 16 January 2026, Yoon was convicted in a related trial and sentenced to five years' imprisonment on charges of abuse of power, obstruction of justice and falsification of official documents related to his failed martial law bid in 2024, subsequently increased to seven years after his lawyers appealed the sentence. On 19 February 2026, Yoon was convicted of leading an insurrection, and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Other investigations

On 30 April 2025, prosecutors conducted a court-approved raid on Yoon's private residence as part of an investigation into allegations of back-room deals and influence peddling involving an intermediary, Jeon Seong-bae, and Yoon's wife as well. This action marks the first time in South Korea's history that a former president's home was searched in connection with a corruption scandal. On 1 May, Yoon was indicted for abuse of power.

The Seoul Central District Court issued a fresh arrest warrant for former President Yoon Suk Yeol on 2 January 2026, extending his detention over allegations tied to drone deployments toward North Korea in October 2025. He also faces charges connected to his attempted imposition of martial law in December 2024. The detention order that was due to expire on 18 January 2026 was extended by up to six months. On 12 June 2026, Yoon was found guilty of treason and abuse of power for ordering drones to be flown into North Korea in October 2024 to drop propaganda leaflets on three occasions, to provoke North Korea and help justify his martial law declaration, and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment.

Political positions

Yoon identifies as a "conservative". Chung Doo-un, a former conservative member of parliament, has considered Yoon a conservative. Political commentator Chin Jung-kwon called his political inclination "libertarianism" (자유지상주의). He has also been described as a social conservative. His critical attitude toward feminism, his nationalist nature, and his hostile attitude toward the opposition and the liberal media have led the media and experts to call him and his policies "K-Trumpism" (한국판 트럼프 or K-트럼프) and "far-right" (극우), allegations denied by him and his supporters.

Economics

Yoon opposes economic interventionism by the government and is generally regarded as pro-business, and as a fiscal conservative. He has cited economist Milton Friedman and his 1980 book Free to Choose as a major influence on his belief in economic liberalism. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Yoon has intended to reduce dependence on China and promote supply chain resilience.

Military

Yoon has expressed active support for the possibility of South Korea having indigenous nuclear weapons. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace referred to his policy as "nuclear populism." Some research shows that nationalist attitudes and anti-American sentiment are prevalent among supporters of an indigenous nuclear arsenal.

On 22 September 2021, Yoon stated that he would ask that the United States redeploy tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea if there is a threat from North Korea. Nuclear weapons have not been deployed by the U.S. in South Korea since the early 1990s after an agreement with Russia and in an effort to ease tensions between North and South Korea. Speaking for the United States, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Japan and Korea Mark Lambert rejected Yoon's call for the re-nuclearization of South Korea and said the proposal was against U.S. policy.

On 12 November 2021, Yoon indicated that he would be open to more U.S. THAAD missile deployments in South Korea.

Personal life

Yoon has been married to Kim Keon Hee since 2012. His wife said that she prefers the term "president's spouse" instead of "first lady".

Kim is the president of Covana Contents, a company that focuses on art exhibitions. Kim has faced an investigation that alleged she had taken kickbacks for hosting art exhibitions, in addition to reports that circulated in the South Korean media that she inflated her resume with connections to New York University Stern School of Business. She responded by offering a public apology. Kim was arrested on 12 August 2025 after the Seoul Central District Court granted a special prosecutor's request for an arrest warrant amid serious corruption allegations.

Yoon is the fourth South Korean president who is a Catholic, after Moon Jae-in, Roh Moo-hyun (a lapsed Catholic), and Kim Dae-jung. He was baptized with the Christian name "Ambrose". Yoon and his wife were accused of having a close relationship with Korean shamans who allegedly advised them on administrative decisions.

Yoon is known to keep multiple pets, which increased from four dogs and three cats in 2022 to six dogs and five cats in 2025. It was also under his presidency that a law outlawing the trade and consumption of dog meat in South Korea was passed in 2024.

Honors

Poland: Knight of the Order of the White Eagle (13 July 2023)

Italy: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (7 October 2023)

United States: Profile in Courage Award (29 October 2023)

United Kingdom: Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (21 November 2023)