US EditionFormer Korean President Yoon Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
Yoon was convicted of illegally deploying military forces to seize the National Assembly, with the court sentencing him to life imprisonment, marking a rare harsh penalty in South Korea's democracy.
- On February 19, 2026, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of abuse of authority and masterminding an insurrection.
- On December 3, 2024, Yoon declared martial law late at night and ordered troops to surround the legislature, which was lifted after about six hours by lawmakers who voted to lift it.
- Judges concluded `The court finds that the intention was to paralyse the assembly for a considerable period`, citing acts of insurrection by dispatching armed soldiers and helicopters to the National Assembly.
- Yoon is likely to appeal and is expected to remain detained at the Seoul Detention Centre while appeals proceed, despite prosecutors and a special prosecutor seeking the death penalty.
- The ruling also convicted senior officials including Kim Yong-hyun, former Defence Minister, sentenced to 30 years, and Han Duck-soo, former Prime Minister, jailed for 23 years; the verdict closes a chapter that tested South Korea's democratic institutions and deepened national polarisation.
291 Articles
291 Articles
Former South Korean President Sentenced to Life in Prison for Leading an Insurrection, Follows Impeachment for Declaring Martial Law
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A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life imprisonment on Thursday, after finding him guilty of leading an insurrection by declaring martial law at the end of 2024.
In South Korea, the deposed President Yoon was sentenced to life imprisonment for proclaiming martial law in December 2024. A court in the capital city of Seoul found the 65-year-old guilty of leading an insurrection and thus violating the Constitution.
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