South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol (file pic)
Former South Korea president Yoon Suk Yeol has been found guilty of “insurrection”, and has been sentenced to life in prison by the Seoul central district court. The verdict is linked to his martial law declaration in December 2024 , which the court called a deliberate plot to “paralyse” the National Assembly.”As to defendant Yoon Suk Yeol, the crime of insurrection leadership is established,” presiding judge Ji Gwi-yeon told Seoul Central District Court, as quoted by AFP.”The declaration of martial law resulted in enormous social costs, and it is difficult to find any indication that the defendant has expressed remorse for that,” added the judge to the ruling while announcing the ‘life imprison’ ruling.A special prosecutor has demanded the death penalty for Yoon, arguing that his actions posed a serious threat to the country’s democracy and warranted the harshest punishment. However, most analysts expected a life sentence, noting that Yoon’s poorly planned power grab did not result in any casualties. South Korea has not executed a death row inmate since 1997, effectively maintaining a moratorium amid ongoing calls for abolition.As Yoon arrived at the Seoul court, hundreds of police officers monitored the scene while supporters rallied outside the judicial complex. Nearby, critics demanded the death penalty, their protests intensifying as the prison bus transporting Yoon passed by. The court will also hear cases against seven former military and police officials accused of enforcing Yoon’s martial law decree. Yoon, a staunch conservative, defended the six-hour decree as necessary to prevent “anti-state” liberal forces from obstructing his agenda. The measure was lifted after lawmakers broke through a military blockade and unanimously voted to nullify it.Yoon was suspended from office on December 14, 2024, following impeachment by the National Assembly, and formally removed by the Constitutional Court in April 2025. He has been in custody since July 2025, facing multiple criminal trials, with the rebellion charge carrying the most severe punishment. Last month, he was sentenced to five years in prison for resisting arrest, fabricating the martial law proclamation, and bypassing a legally required full Cabinet meeting before declaring the measure.The Seoul Central Court has also convicted two of Yoon’s Cabinet members in related cases. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was sentenced to 23 years for attempting to legitimise the decree through a Cabinet Council meeting, falsifying records, and lying under oath. Han has appealed the verdict.
