February 19, (THEWILL) — Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been sentenced to life imprisonment after a Seoul court found him guilty of masterminding an insurrection following his short-lived declaration of martial law in December 2024.
The judgment was delivered on Thursday by the Seoul Central District Court, where Presiding Judge Ji Gwi-yeon ruled that Yoon’s actions caused “enormous social costs” and showed no clear sign of remorse.
“As to defendant Yoon Suk-yeol, the crime of insurrection leadership is established. We sentence Yoon to life imprisonment,” the judge said.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, arguing that Yoon was the leader of the December 3, 2024 insurrection that plunged the country into political turmoil.
The court held that the central issue of the case was Yoon’s decision to deploy the military to the National Assembly, an act it said was aimed at preventing lawmakers from carrying out their constitutional duties.
According to reports by Yonhap News Agency, the court ruled that Yoon intended to paralyse the National Assembly for a significant period, but rejected the special prosecutor’s claim that he planned to establish a long-term dictatorship.
Yoon, 65, who was impeached and removed from office over the martial law declaration, consistently maintained his innocence throughout the trial.
He argued that he acted within his presidential authority and said the decision to impose martial law was meant to prevent opposition parties from obstructing governance.
The conviction marks one of the most dramatic downfalls of a former leader in South Korea’s modern history and is widely seen as a reaffirmation of the country’s commitment to constitutional democracy and civil rule.
Leave a comment