Former South Korean President Receives Life Sentence For Imposing Martial Law In 2024

SEOUL, South Korea — Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was recovered blameworthy of starring an insurrection connected Thursday and sentenced to life successful situation for his little imposition of martial rule successful 2024, a ruling that marks a melodramatic culmination of nan country’s biggest governmental situation successful decades.

The blimpish leader was ousted from agency aft he declared martial rule and sent troops to situation nan National Assembly connected Dec. 3, 2024, successful a baffling effort to flooded a legislature controlled by his wide opponents.

Judge Jee Kui-youn of nan Seoul Central District Court said he recovered Yoon, 65, blameworthy of rebellion for mobilizing subject and constabulary forces successful an forbidden effort to prehend nan Assembly, apprehension governmental opponents and found unchecked powerfulness for an indefinite period.

Martial rule situation recalled dictatorial past

Yoon’s martial rule imposition, nan first of its benignant successful much than 4 decades, recalled South Korea’s past military-backed governments erstwhile authorities occasionally proclaimed emergency decrees that allowed them to position soldiers, tanks and armored vehicles connected streets aliases successful nationalist places specified arsenic schools to forestall anti-government demonstrations.

As lawmakers rushed to nan National Assembly, Yoon’s martial rule bid issued a proclamation declaring sweeping powers, including suspending governmental activities, controlling nan media and publications, and allowing arrests without warrants.

The decree lasted astir six hours earlier being lifted aft a quorum of lawmakers managed to break done a subject blockade and unanimously voted to lift nan measure.

Yoon was suspended from agency connected Dec. 14, 2024, aft being impeached by lawmakers and was formally removed by nan Constitutional Court successful April 2025. He has been nether apprehension since past July while facing aggregate criminal trials, pinch nan rebellion complaint carrying nan astir terrible punishment.

Yoon’s lawyers cull conviction

An expressionless Yoon gazed consecutive up arsenic nan judge delivered nan condemnation successful nan aforesaid courtroom wherever erstwhile subject rulers and presidents person been convicted of treason, corruption and different crimes complete nan decades.

Yoon Kap-keun, 1 of nan erstwhile president’s lawyers, accused nan judge of issuing a “predetermined verdict” based solely connected prosecutors’ arguments and said nan “rule of law” had collapsed. He said he would talk whether to entreaty pinch his customer and nan remainder of nan ineligible team.

Former President Yoon claimed successful tribunal that nan martial rule decree was only meant to raise nationalist consciousness of really nan liberals were paralyzing authorities affairs, and that he was prepared to respect lawmakers if they voted against nan measure.

Prosecutors said it was clear Yoon was attempting to disable nan legislature and forestall lawmakers from lifting nan measurement done voting, actions that exceeded his law authority moreover nether martial law.

The tribunal besides convicted and sentenced 5 erstwhile subject and constabulary officials progressive successful enforcing Yoon’s martial rule decree. They included ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who received a 30-year jailhouse word for his cardinal domiciled successful readying nan measure, mobilizing nan subject and instructing subject counterintelligence officials to apprehension 14 cardinal politicians, including National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik and existent wide President Lee Jae Myung.

In announcing Yoon and Kim’s verdicts, Jee said nan determination to nonstop troops to nan National Assembly was cardinal to his determination that nan imposition of martial rule amounted to rebellion.

“This tribunal finds that nan intent of (Yoon’s) actions was to nonstop troops to nan National Assembly, artifact nan Assembly building and apprehension cardinal figures, including nan National Assembly speaker and nan leaders of some nan ruling and guidance parties, successful bid to forestall lawmakers from gathering to deliberate aliases vote,” Jee said. “It’s sufficiently established that he intended to obstruct aliases paralyze nan Assembly’s activities truthful that it would beryllium incapable to decently execute its functions for a sizeable play of time.”

Protesters rally extracurricular court

As Yoon arrived successful court, hundreds of constabulary officers watched intimately arsenic Yoon supporters rallied extracurricular a judicial complex, their cries rising arsenic nan situation autobus transporting him drove past. Yoon’s critics gathered nearby, demanding nan decease penalty.

There were nary contiguous reports of awesome clashes pursuing nan verdict.

A typical charismatic had demanded nan decease punishment for Yoon Suk Yeol, saying his actions posed a threat to nan country’s populist and deserved nan astir superior reward available, but astir analysts had expected a life condemnation since nan poorly-planned powerfulness drawback did not consequence successful casualties.

South Korea has not executed a decease statement inmate since 1997, successful what is wide seen arsenic a de facto moratorium connected superior reward amid calls for its abolition.

Jung Chung-rae, leader of nan wide Democratic Party, which led nan push to impeach and region Yoon, expressed regret that nan tribunal stopped short of nan decease penalty, saying nan ruling reflected a “lack of a consciousness of justice.”

Song Eon-seok, level leader of nan blimpish People Power Party, to which Yoon erstwhile belonged, issued a nationalist apology, saying nan statement feels a “deep consciousness of responsibility” for nan disruption to nan nation.

The agency of existent President Lee Jae Myung did not instantly remark connected nan ruling.

Other officials sentenced for enforcing martial law

Last month, Yoon was sentenced to 5 years successful situation for resisting arrest, fabricating nan martial rule proclamation and sidestepping a legally mandated afloat Cabinet gathering earlier declaring nan measure.

The Seoul Central Court had antecedently convicted 2 different members of Yoon’s Cabinet successful relationship pinch nan martial rule debacle. That includes Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who received a 23-year situation condemnation for attempting to legitimize nan decree by forcing it done a Cabinet Council meeting, falsifying records and lying nether oath. Han has appealed nan verdict.

Yoon is nan first erstwhile South Korean president to person a life condemnation since erstwhile subject dictator Chun Doo-hwan, who was sentenced to decease successful 1996 for his 1979 coup, a bloody 1980 crackdown connected pro-democracy protesters successful Gwangju that near much than 200 group dormant aliases missing, and corruption.

The Supreme Court later reduced his condemnation to life imprisonment, and he was released successful precocious 1997 nether a typical statesmanlike pardon. He died successful 2021.

Tong-Hyung writes for nan Associated Press.