A court in Seoul has sentenced former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of leading an insurrection linked to his declaration of martial law in December 2024. The ruling was delivered on Thursday at the Seoul Central District Court.
Presiding judge Ji Gwi-yeon said Yoon deployed troops to the National Assembly in an attempt to paralyse it and silence political opponents. The court heard that the 65-year-old had declared martial law in a televised address, citing threats from what he described as anti-state forces.
Yoon was later impeached, arrested and charged with offences including insurrection and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, but South Korea has maintained an unofficial moratorium on executions since 1997.
Also Read: South Korea’s Top Court to Rule on Yoon’s Impeachment Friday
Former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the crisis. Yoon has denied wrongdoing, saying he acted to safeguard constitutional order, but the court ruled that the declaration of martial law caused significant social disruption.
Leave feedback about this
You must be logged in to post a comment.