South Korea's former President Yoon Suk-yeol has been sentenced to life in prison. A court found him guilty of masterminding an insurrection through the brief imposition of martial law in December 2024.
The court ruled Yoon guilty of rebellion for illegally mobilizing military and police forces to surround the liberal-led National Assembly, arrest lawmakers, and seize unchecked power. The decree lasted approximately six hours before being lifted.
Several former military and police officials involved also received convictions. Ex-Defence Minister Kim Yong Hyun was sentenced to 30 years for his role in planning and executing the measure.
Yoon, a conservative, had defended the decree as necessary to counter "anti-state" liberal forces obstructing his agenda. He was impeached in December 2024 and removed by the Constitutional Court in April 2025. He has been under arrest since July 2025, facing multiple trials, with the rebellion charge carrying the most severe penalty. Yoon was previously sentenced to five years for related offenses, including fabricating the martial law proclamation. He is expected to appeal.