The Seoul Central District Court sentenced former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of leading an insurrection tied to his short-lived declaration of martial law in December 2024.
The 65-year-old Yoon, who was impeached, removed from office, and has been in detention since July 2025, was convicted of masterminding the botched attempt to impose military rule. This plunged South Korea, one of Asia's strongest democracies and a key U.S. ally into its most severe political crisis in decades.
The court, presided over by Judge Jee Kui-youn, ruled that Yoon mobilized military and police forces in an illegal bid to seize control of the liberal-led National Assembly, arrest opposition politicians (including then-opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, now president), block lawmakers from convening, and establish unchecked authority for a prolonged period.
The judges determined this constituted insurrection under South Korean law, aimed at subverting the constitutional order.Prosecutors had demanded the death penalty, calling the actions a grave threat to democracy, but the court opted for life imprisonment—considering factors such as the plan's poor execution, Yoon's apparent intent to limit physical force, and the absence of casualties or long-term success. (South Korea has observed a de facto moratorium on executions since 1997.)
The martial law decree, announced on December 3, 2024, lasted only about six hours. Yoon cited opposition obstruction of government functions, but critics viewed it as an unconstitutional power grab to bypass a hostile legislature.
Troops surrounded the National Assembly, but lawmakers broke through blockades, voted unanimously to lift the decree, and sparked massive protests that led to Yoon's impeachment on December 14, 2024, and formal removal by the Constitutional Court in April 2025.
This is one of multiple trials Yoon faces; he was previously sentenced to five years in January 2026 for related charges including abuse of power, obstructing arrest, and fabricating documents. Other officials involved received sentences, such as former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun (30 years) for his role in planning and execution.
Yoon has denied wrongdoing, claiming the measure was meant only to alert the public to political paralysis and that he would have respected a parliamentary vote against it. His legal team condemned the verdict as predetermined and indicated plans to appeal.
The ruling drew mixed reactions: Supporters rallied outside the court demanding leniency, while critics called for harsher punishment. President Lee Jae-myung praised the public's resistance as a demonstration of democratic resilience.
This verdict marks the harshest punishment ever imposed on an elected South Korean president in the democratic era, underscoring accountability for attempts to undermine constitutional institutions.
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