Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been handed a life imprisonment sentence following his brief declaration of martial law, marking the climax of the nation’s most significant political turmoil in many years. Yoon’s downfall came after a failed bid to exert control over an opposition-dominated legislature by imposing martial law and deploying troops to encircle the legislative body on December 3, 2024.
During the trial, Judge Jee Kui-youn pronounced Yoon guilty of rebellion for orchestrating the mobilization of military and police units in an unlawful endeavor to seize the liberal-led National Assembly, detain politicians, and establish unchecked authority for an extended period. Yoon is expected to challenge the ruling.
Although a special prosecutor had urged for Yoon to face the death penalty, citing a threat to the country’s democracy and advocating for the severest punishment possible, most observers anticipate a life sentence because the poorly executed power grab did not result in any casualties. South Korea has refrained from executing death row inmates since 1997, effectively maintaining a moratorium on capital punishment amidst growing calls for its abolition.
As Yoon made his court appearance, a contingent of police officers closely monitored the situation while his supporters gathered outside the judicial complex, expressing their support as the prison bus transporting him drove by. In contrast, Yoon’s detractors nearby demanded the imposition of the death penalty.
The court also found and sentenced several former military and police officials involved in implementing Yoon’s martial law decree, including ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who received a 30-year prison term for his pivotal role in orchestrating the measure and mobilizing the armed forces.
Yoon, known for his conservative stance, justified his martial law declaration as essential to thwart what he labeled as “anti-state” liberal elements from impeding his legislative agenda due to their majority in the parliament. The martial law decree was ultimately rescinded after a group of lawmakers broke through the military cordon and unanimously voted to revoke the measure.
Yoon was suspended from his presidential duties on December 14, 2024, following his impeachment by legislators and was officially ousted by the Constitutional Court in April 2025. He has been in custody since last July, facing multiple criminal trials, with the rebellion charge carrying the most severe penalty.
Recently, Yoon was sentenced to five years in prison for resisting arrest, falsifying the martial law proclamation, and bypassing a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting before enacting the measure. Additionally, the Seoul Central Court has convicted two of Yoon’s Cabinet members in separate cases, with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo receiving a 23-year prison term for attempting to validate the decree through a Cabinet Council meeting, falsifying records, and perjury. Han has lodged an appeal against the judgment.