US EditionFormer Korean President Yoon Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
Yoon was found guilty of rebellion for mobilizing troops to paralyze the National Assembly and arrest politicians, marking the first life sentence for a democratic-era South Korean president.
- 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.
229 Articles
229 Articles
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.
Recognised guilty of having proclaimed martial law and attempted to paralyse Parliament, the former Head of State of South Korea escapes the death penalty but is sentenced to life imprisonment.
Yoon Suk Yeol, former president of South Korea, was sentenced to life imprisonment for declaring martial law in the country in 2024.The former president of South Korea tried to give a coup d'état when he suspended Parliament, parties and unions, as well as censorship of the media on this fact.However, his measures remained in force only for 6 hours, as he reversed after protests by the citizenry, as well as his party's rejection of the measure.
Judged guilty of leading an insurrection, Yoon Suk Yeol escaped the death penalty required by the prosecution.
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. An act that "resolved at enormous social costs, and it is difficult to find any indication that the defendant has shown repentance for it," said Judge Ji Gwi-yeon of Seoul Central District Court.Read more
Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol jailed for life
South Korea’s former president was jailed for life for leading an insurrection, in one of the country’s biggest criminal trials in decades. Yoon Suk Yeol attempted to impose martial law in 2024, accusing opponents of harboring “anti-state forces” sympathetic to North Korea. He ordered soldiers to storm the parliament, but they were prevented from reaching the chamber. Yoon was charged with insurrection, one of the few criminal charges from which…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
