US EditionFormer Korean President Yoon Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
- 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.
207 Articles
207 Articles
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
The former Conservative leader had attempted a coup de force in 2024 in the face of an opposition-dominated parliament. He escaped the death penalty, which the prosecutor's office had demanded, even though no executions had taken place in the country since 1997.
Winnipeg Free Press
Owensboro Messenger-InquirerA look at major events that led to ex-South Korean president's conviction over martial law
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
A court in South Korea sentenced former President Yoon Sok Yeol to life imprisonment – he was found guilty of mutiny and abuse of authority because of his failed attempt to impose martial law in 2024.
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