Case Explained: South Korean ex-president Yoon sentenced to life in prison – Legal Perspective

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been sentenced to life in prison on a charge of leading an insurrection in December 2024.

The Seoul Central District Court handed down the life sentence on Thursday.

Yoon declared martial law as he criticized opposition lawmakers who disagreed with his budget plan. He attempted to detain lawmakers by sending troops to the National Assembly.

Special prosecutors sought a death penalty for the former president, arguing that he had destroyed the constitutional order of liberal democracy.

Yoon pleaded not guilty, saying that the declaration was intended to inform the public of a national emergency and urge them to stand together to overcome it.

In another court ruling last month, Yoon was sentenced to five years in prison for obstructing investigators attempting to detain him. He appealed the decision.

Yoon is also charged with ordering drones to be sent to North Korea in an attempt to use a potential retaliatory attack by Pyongyang as a pretext for declaring martial law.