SEOUL--A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison on Thursday, after finding him guilty of masterminding an insurrection linked to his December 2024 attempt to impose martial law.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty in the case, closely watched in a deeply divided country. It is the most consequential of a series of trials for the ousted leader, whose bid triggered a national political crisis and tested democratic resilience.
Yoon conspired with his then-defence minister, Kim Yong-hyun, to subvert the constitutional order by deploying troops to parliament, intending to paralyse its functions, Judge Jee Kui-youn told a packed courtroom."It is the court's judgment that sending armed troops to parliament ... and using equipment to try to make arrests all constitute acts of insurrection," he said, speaking for the panel of three judges.
Yoon led a number of officials and troops in criminal activities on December 3, 2024, and "because of the martial law declaration, an enormous social cost was incurred," Jee said as he handed down the life term for the former leader.
Wearing a dark navy suit without a tie, Yoon, 65, stood ashen-faced as the sentences were read out for him and seven other defendants, including Kim, the former defence minister, who received 30 years, and former top police officials.
Yoon's defence team will discuss with him whether to appeal the ruling, with one of his lawyers, Yoon Kab-keun, saying it completely ignored the key legal principle of basing findings on evidence.A lawyer for Kim said the former defence minister would "of course appeal".
A prosecutor said the team had some "regret" over the sentencing but declined to say whether they planned to appeal.
Before delivering the verdict, Judge Jee reviewed the long history of treason and insurrection, from the Roman Empire and medieval era to the trial and execution of England's Charles I for waging war against parliament.Masterminding an insurrection carries a maximum sentence of the death penalty or life imprisonment under South Korean law. The country last handed down a death sentence in 2016, but has not executed anyone since 1997.
Yoon denied the charges. The conservative former career prosecutor said he had presidential authority to declare martial law and his action was aimed at sounding the alarm over opposition parties' obstruction of government.
The ousted former leader is likely to remain held at the Seoul Detention Centre. He can appeal the ruling and again challenge any appellate court decision at the Supreme Court. Judicial guidelines say the first trial should conclude within six months and the entire process, including appeals, in two years, but trials often exceed that.
