South Korean ex-president, Yoon Suk-yeol sentenced to life in prison

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, delivered by Seoul Central District Court Judge Jee Kui-youn, was lighter than the death penalty prosecutors sought at the trial’s final hearing in January. The ruling was aired live on South Korea’s major broadcasters.

Jee said in the verdict that Yoon led an insurrection and committed acts to subvert the country’s constitutional order.

The court added that Yoon “took the lead in planning the crime and involved a large number of people,” and that it was “difficult to see any sign of remorse from the defendant, who also refused to appear in court.”

Yoon had previously reportedly refused to appear in court for questioning last year.

The court also found Yoon had ordered South Korea’s military to capture individuals during the martial law declaration, including the current president Lee Jae Myung.

Yoon also had the intention to “paralyze” the country’s parliament by deploying troops to blockade the National Assembly and arrest key politicians, Jee said.

Five others were also sentenced, including former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

The defendants may appeal the ruling within a week.

The sentence follows a separate ruling on Jan. 16, when Yoon was given a five-year prison term for attempting to obstruct his arrest after he was impeached and suspended from office.