Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of leading an insurrection during his declaration of martial law in December 2024.
The ruling was delivered by Jee Kui-youn of the Seoul Central District Court and was lighter than the death penalty prosecutors had sought at the trial’s final hearing in January. The verdict was aired live on South Korea’s major broadcasters.
Judge Jee said Yoon led an insurrection and committed acts aimed at subverting the country’s constitutional order. The court stated that Yoon “took the lead in planning the crime and involved a large number of people,” adding that it was “difficult to see any sign of remorse from the defendant, who also refused to appear in court.”
The court also found that Yoon ordered the military to capture individuals during the martial law declaration, including current president Lee Jae Myung. According to the ruling, Yoon intended to “paralyze” parliament by deploying troops to blockade the National Assembly of South Korea and arrest key politicians.
Five others were also sentenced, including former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, who received a 30-year prison term. The defendants have one week to appeal the decision.
The sentence follows a separate ruling on January 16, when Yoon was handed a five-year prison term for attempting to obstruct his arrest after being impeached and suspended from office. Other senior officials were also punished over the failed martial law bid. Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was sentenced to 23 years in prison, while former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min received a seven-year sentence.
Yoon was the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested in an operation involving more than 3,000 police officers, following a standoff with presidential security agents.
During the final hearing, special counsel Cho Eun-suk argued that Yoon declared martial law “with the purpose of remaining in power for a long time by seizing the judiciary and legislature,” according to local media reports.
Yoon maintained his innocence, arguing that the declaration was within his constitutional authority and intended to “safeguard freedom and sovereignty.”
He imposed South Korea’s first instance of martial law in 44 years during a late-night address on December 3, claiming that the then-opposition Democratic Party of Korea was engaged in “anti-state activities” and colluding with “North Korean communists.”
Troops were deployed to the National Assembly, and clashes erupted between security forces and protesters outside the compound. The martial law order was overturned within three hours after 190 of the 300 lawmakers convened and voted unanimously to revoke it. Yoon lifted the order roughly six hours after announcing it.
He was impeached 11 days later and formally removed from office on April 4, 2025
