Seoul, South Korea
—
Former South Korean President Yun Seok-Yeol was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday after a court found him guilty of leading an uprising during a brief period of martial law that plunged the country into political turmoil and threatened to disrupt decades of democracy.
The verdict closes a chapter in one of South Korea’s biggest political crises, a story full of dramatic developments that test the country’s democratic guardrails.
On December 3, 2024, the 65-year-old Yun declared martial law in a late-night televised speech, stating that there were “anti-national forces” sympathetic to North Korea within the opposition party.
Armed soldiers descended on parliament by helicopter and attempted to storm the chamber where lawmakers were gathering. Shocked and angry citizens, along with MPs and parliamentary staff, quickly barricaded entrances and struggled to prevent soldiers from reaching the chamber, with the chaos broadcast live on television.
Yoon’s shocking declaration was widely condemned as reviving dark memories of the country’s authoritarian past, plunging South Korea into a constitutional crisis and shaking the foundations of the country’s democracy. He reversed course within six hours after lawmakers stormed Congress and voted unanimously to block it.
Since the late 1980s, South Korea has transformed into a strong democracy through regular protests, free speech, fair elections, and a peaceful transfer of power. The country has since grown into a major player in the global economy and remains a key ally of the United States in Asia.
However, the domestic political situation remains deeply polarized and difficult, with presidents on both sides of the political divide often facing calls for impeachment, criminal investigations, and prosecution.
A crowd of Yoon supporters gathered outside the Seoul Central District Court to watch the trial, which was broadcast live across the country, on a large screen.
Presiding Judge Ji Kwi-young said it was clear that Yoon’s intention in issuing martial law was to paralyze the National Assembly for a long period of time, considering the words Yun used in the military order and the fact that he attempted to arrest political opponents, including the opposition Democratic Party leader and ruling party leader Han Dong-hoo.
Ji said the very act of sending armed soldiers to the Capitol and transporting them by helicopter constituted an act of insurrection.
Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was also found guilty on Thursday of playing a key role in the rebellion and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Kim had previously been responsible for ordering soldiers to institute martial law.
Seonghwa, 35, who rushed to the National Assembly with her husband on Dec. 3 after hearing Yoon’s declaration, called the ruling a “very important decision” that “sends a powerful message to the people.”
Leader of the Korea Reconstruction Party gives his opinion on the Yoon ruling
Cho Kuk, leader of the liberal-leaning Korea Reconstruction Party, said Yoon “tried to destroy South Korea’s democracy.”
“There are many places where democracy is at a standstill,” he added. “South Korea’s experience shows that the power to protect and restore democracy lies within its people.”
Yun, who can appeal the verdict, has denied the charges of sedition and said the imposition of martial law was aimed at warning the public of the political impasse caused by the opposition majority in the National Assembly and the opposition’s impeachment of several senior officials.
In his final statement, he said, “The National Assembly had no choice but to create a national crisis and awaken the people,” insisting that he was exercising his constitutional authority as president.
Yun, a former prosecutor, called the charges a “delusion and fiction.” He had maintained that there was no real intention to arrest lawmakers, that no heavy weapons were deployed, and that there were no serious casualties.
The riot is one of the few criminal charges against which South Korea’s president is not immune. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, a largely symbolic move since the country hasn’t carried out an execution in decades.
In closing arguments, Special Prosecutor Park Ok-soo said, “The series of actions destroyed the constitutional order of liberal democracy.”
“The shock, fear, anxiety, hurt, and sense of loss felt by the people is indescribable,” he said.
Prosecutors said that Yun has shown no remorse and there remains a risk that emergency martial law will be invoked in the future.
Prosecutors said, “The severity of the crime of sedition threatens the very existence of the community.”
Yun was first detained in January 2025 after weeks of confrontations with authorities at his home in Seoul and resisting arrest attempts. He became the first president in South Korean history to be arrested while in office. He was impeached 11 days after martial law was declared and removed from office four months later.
Yun continues to face multiple charges related to his declaration of martial law and other actions during his time as president.
Last month, Yoon was sentenced to five years in prison on charges including interfering with authorities attempting to arrest him, abusing his authority, and falsifying documents.
Yun is also charged with aiding an enemy state after prosecutors allege that he secretly deployed drones to provoke a military conflict with North Korea as a plot to declare martial law.
Other key Yun allies have already been indicted for their roles in martial law.
Last month, former Prime Minister Han Deok-soo was sentenced to 23 years in prison, becoming the first Yun government official found guilty of sedition. And last week, former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min was sentenced to seven years in prison for participating in the rebellion.
Yoon’s wife, Kim Gun-hee, is also serving a 18-month sentence on an unrelated bribery charge.
But Thursday’s verdict marks the first time in 30 years that South Korea has sentenced a leader for rebellion.
In 1996, former President Chun Doo-hwan, a major general in the army who seized power in a military coup in 1979, was found guilty of leading the 1980 massacre of pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju. He was initially sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and later pardoned.
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