Seoul Court Sentences Ex-President Yoon to Life for Insurrection

A Seoul court sentenced former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison on Thursday after convicting him of leading an insurrection tied to his brief declaration of martial law in December 2024. The ruling, delivered by the Seoul Central District Court, marks a significant accountability measure in one of the nation's most severe political crises.

Yoon, a former prosecutor who served as president from 2022 until his removal in 2025, imposed martial law in a late-night televised address on December 3, 2024. He cited the need to counter what he called anti-state forces in the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which he accused of paralyzing his administration through legislative actions and impeachments of officials. Armed soldiers arrived at the National Assembly by helicopter and surrounded the building, attempting to block lawmakers from entering and debating the decree. In response, lawmakers scaled perimeter walls to gain access, joined by citizens and staff who barricaded entrances. Within six hours, a quorum of 190 assembly members convened and unanimously voted to overturn the measure, prompting Yoon to lift it.

Presiding Judge Ji Gwiyeon stated that...