Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been handed a life sentence for his short-lived enforcement of martial law, marking the climax of the nation’s most significant political turmoil in decades. Yoon’s downfall ensued from an ill-fated bid to overpower an opposition-dominated parliament by implementing martial law and deploying military personnel to encircle the legislative body on December 3, 2024.
Judge Jee Kui-youn ruled Yoon guilty of rebellion for mobilizing armed forces unlawfully in an effort to capture the liberal-led National Assembly, detain politicians, and establish unchecked authority for an extended period. Yoon is anticipated to challenge the court’s decision.
Although a special prosecutor had urged the death penalty for Yoon, citing a threat to democracy and advocating for the severest punishment, many experts anticipate a life sentence due to the poorly executed power seizure that did not result in casualties. South Korea has refrained from executing death row prisoners since 1997, essentially observing a de facto moratorium on capital punishment amid mounting calls for its abolition.
Upon Yoon’s arrival at the court, a large police presence monitored closely as his supporters gathered outside the judicial complex, voicing their support as the prison bus transporting him passed by. Meanwhile, critics of Yoon assembled nearby, demanding the death penalty.
The court also convicted and sentenced several former military and police officials involved in enforcing Yoon’s martial law directive, including ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who received a 30-year prison term for his pivotal role in orchestrating the implementation and deployment of the military.
Yoon, known for his conservative stance, has justified his martial law order as essential to counter liberals, whom he branded as “anti-state” elements, aiming to impede his legislative agenda with their majority control.
The martial law decree was lifted approximately six hours later when a group of lawmakers broke through a military cordon and unanimously voted to revoke the measure. Yoon was suspended from office on December 14, 2024, following impeachment by legislators and was officially ousted by the Constitutional Court in April 2025. He has been in custody since July while facing multiple criminal trials, with the rebellion charge carrying the most severe penalties.
Recently, Yoon received a five-year prison sentence for resisting arrest, fabricating the martial law proclamation, and circumventing a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting before enacting the measure. Additionally, the Seoul Central Court convicted two of Yoon’s Cabinet members in separate cases, including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was sentenced to 23 years for attempting to legitimize the decree through illicit means. Han has appealed the ruling.