Yoon Suk-yeol (born 18 December 1960) is a South Korean politician and former public prosecutor who served as the 13th president of South Korea from 2022 until his removal from office in 2025. His tenure, initially defined by a shift toward conservative policies and a hardline stance on national security, concluded in historic constitutional and political crisis following his attempted declaration of martial law in late 2024. Born in the Bomun-dong neighborhood of Seoul, Yoon was the son of Yoon Ki-joong, a prominent economist and professor at Yonsei University. He attended Chungam High School in Seoul, graduating in 1979, and went on to study law at Seoul National University, where he earned both his undergraduate and master's degrees. After several attempts, he passed the state bar examination in 1991. Yoon began his career as a public prosecutor in 1994 at the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office. Over the next three decades, he established a reputation as an incorruptible investigator known for pursuing high-profile political and corporate corruption. His career saw him serve in various district offices, including Seoul and Busan. A significant turning point in his reputation came in 2013 when he led a special investigation into the National Intelligence Service (NIS) for its involvement in public opinion manipulation during the 2012 presidential election. His insistence on investigating the matter led to professional friction with his superiors and his temporary demotion. He returned to prominence in 2016 as the lead investigator for the special prosecutor team that probed the corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye, Samsung vice-chairman Lee Jae-yong, and Choi Soon-sil, a case that ultimately led to the impeachment of President Park. In 2019, President Moon Jae-in appointed Yoon as Prosecutor General. However, his tenure as Prosecutor General became increasingly contentious, characterized by investigations into President Moon's own administration, leading to his resignation in March 2021. Following his resignation, Yoon entered electoral politics. He joined the conservative People Power Party (PPP) in July 2021 and successfully secured the party’s nomination for the 2022 presidential election. On March 9, 2022, he narrowly defeated Democratic Party nominee Lee Jae-myung by a margin of less than one percentage point, marking the closest election in South Korean history. Yoon assumed the presidency on May 10, 2022. Upon taking office, he moved the presidential executive office from the traditional Blue House complex to the Ministry of National Defense compound in the Yongsan district of Seoul, a move he characterized as a departure from imperial-style leadership. His presidency was marked by a foreign policy shift towards strengthening trilateral ties with the United States and Japan, and a more confrontational approach toward North Korea. Domestically, his administration faced significant challenges, including a legislative gridlock caused by the opposition-controlled National Assembly, low approval ratings, and various public controversies regarding his spouse, First Lady Kim Keon-hee. In December 2024, the administration reached a breaking point when Yoon declared martial law, citing the need to eliminate "pro-North Korean" anti-state forces. The declaration was met with immediate, widespread opposition; the National Assembly convened hours later and passed a motion to nullify the order, which Yoon subsequently complied with. The crisis triggered a rapid impeachment process. Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly on December 14, 2024, resulting in the suspension of his executive powers. The Constitutional Court subsequently upheld his removal from office in April 2025. Following his removal, Yoon faced legal proceedings, and in February 2026, he was convicted by the Seoul Central District Court on charges of orchestrating an insurrection and sentenced to life imprisonment.