A South Korean court has sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison for imposing martial law in 2024. Yoon was convicted of abuse of authority and masterminding an insurrection, related to his deployment of military and police forces in an illegal attempt to control the liberal-led National Assembly in December 2024.
Yoon had argued the decree was necessary to counter liberal opposition, which he labeled "anti-state" forces, obstructing his legislative agenda. The emergency rule plunged the nation into a political crisis, lasting approximately six hours before being lifted by a unanimous vote after politicians bypassed a military and police blockade.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, asserting that the unconstitutional martial law undermined democratic order. South Korea has maintained a de facto moratorium on capital punishment since 1997.
Several former military and police officials involved in enforcing the decree also received convictions. Former defense minister Kim Yong Hyun was sentenced to 30 years for his role in planning and mobilizing the military for the measure. Yoon himself had previously received a five-year sentence for resisting arrest and fabricating the martial law proclamation without a full cabinet meeting.
Two of Yoon's former cabinet members were also convicted in separate cases. Ex-prime minister Han Duck-soo received a 23-year prison sentence for attempting to legitimize the decree and falsifying records, a verdict he has appealed.
