Court finds Yoon guilty of abuse of authority and insurrection
SEOUL, Feb 19 – A South Korean court on Thursday sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison after finding him guilty of abuse of authority and masterminding an insurrection during his December 2024 attempt to impose martial law.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty in a case that deeply divided the nation. Authorities said Yoon’s “unconstitutional and illegal emergency martial law undermined the National Assembly and Election Commission, destroying the liberal democratic constitutional order.” Masterminding an insurrection carries a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment under South Korean law. The country last issued a death sentence in 2016 but has not executed anyone since 1997.
The court also considered charges that Yoon ordered troops to storm parliament, detaining opponents, and deployed security forces to control access to opposition party facilities. Yoon, 65, denied wrongdoing, claiming his actions were within presidential authority and aimed at alerting the public to obstruction by opposition parties.
Legal proceedings continue amid appeals and separate cases
Yoon, currently held at the Seoul Detention Centre, is expected to appeal the ruling. Judicial guidelines suggest first trials conclude within six months and appeals within two years, though proceedings often take longer. He faces eight ongoing trials, including a January five-year sentence for obstructing authorities during his martial law attempt, which he has also appealed.
The six-hour martial law attempt was met with mass street protests and parliamentary rejection, sending shockwaves through South Korea, Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a key U.S. ally. President Lee Jae Myung, a liberal who assumed office after Yoon’s removal, praised citizens for resisting martial law and highlighted their actions as an example of democratic resilience.
