South Korea’s Impeached President Has Been Found Guilty Of Insurrection And Sentenced To Life In Prison
The Court ruled Yoon's actions undermined democracy, rejecting his claim that it was a legitimate presidential power.
Impeached South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to life in prison over insurrection in his failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.
On Dec. 3, 2024, Yoon announced martial law and later used presidential security forces to block attempts by investigators to detain him.
He said martial law would help to "rebuild and protect" the country from "falling into the depths of national ruin", adding that he would eradicate pro-North Korean forces as soon as possible and "normalize" the country, according to AP.
The declaration sparked immediate backlash and was swiftly overturned by lawmakers within hours, while thousands gathered outside the National Assembly in protest, plunging South Korea into a constitutional crisis.
Troops and police were deployed to the National Assembly, and the military issued orders banning political gatherings and placing the media under control.
On Dec. 14, 2024, the National Assembly voted overwhelmingly to impeach Yoon and immediately suspended his presidential powers pending a Constitutional Court review.
Yoon later apologized to the nation for the martial law decree, calling it “an act of governance.”
His impeachment was later upheld by the Constitutional Court, formally removing him from office, making him one of the few South Korean presidents to be successfully impeached and the first in decades to be arrested.
On Feb. 19, the Seoul Central District Court convicted Yoon of leading an insurrection carried with intent to disrupt the constitutional order by deploying troops to surround parliament and attempting to detain opponents, marking the first such sentence for a democratically elected leader in South Korea, according to the Guardian.
The Court ruled his actions undermined democracy, rejecting his claim that it was a legitimate presidential power.
It also pointed to his lack of apology throughout the proceedings and the massive social costs his actions inflicted on South Korean society, leaving society “politically divided and experiencing extreme confrontation”.
Yoon was facing a death sentence but the court opted for life imprisonment, saying that while the crime was grave, Yoon’s planning did not appear meticulous and most of his plans ultimately failed, according to the Guardian.
Yoon denied wrongdoing, calling it a political plot.
Other officials were also sentenced over their roles in the insurrection.
Ex-prime minister Han Duck-soo was sentenced to 23 years, defense minister Kim Yong-hyun to 30 years, and interior minister Lee Sang-min to seven years.
Yoon is already serving jail time for abuse of power and obstructing his own arrest after the martial law order. He still faces three more related trials.
Yoon has one week to appeal the case; if he does, his case will go up to the Supreme Court, which means it could be months before the verdict is finalized.
Several former presidents before Yoon had also been convicted and jailed in South Korea, but were pardoned after serving just two to five years in prison, and many expect the same for Yoon, according to BBC.
Flavie Chen
Isha Jain
Cherry Mohamed
