South Korea's ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to life in prison for insurrection - Silicon Canals

"A South Korean court on Thursday sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison for leading an insurrection, finding that his brief but explosive declaration of martial law in December 2024 constituted a deliberate attempt to subvert the constitutional order of one of Asia's most established democracies. Presiding judge Ji Gwi-yeon, speaking for a three-judge panel at Seoul Central District Court, told a packed courtroom that Yoon deployed armed troops to the National Assembly with the explicit intention of paralysing the legislature."

""The court finds that the intention was to paralyse the assembly for a considerable period," the judge said, according to reporting from The Punch. "The declaration of martial law resulted in enormous social costs, and it is difficult to find any indication that the defendant has expressed remorse for that." Prosecutors had sought the death penalty. The life sentence - the maximum alternative under South Korean law for insurrection - ensures that Yoon, now 65, will spend the rest of his life behind bars barring a successful appeal or future pardon. Most inmates serving life terms in South Korea can typically apply for parole after 20 years, as RTÉ reported."

"The conviction stems from the night of 3 December 2024, when Yoon appeared on national television shortly before 10:30 p.m. local time to announce the imposition of martial law, declaring it necessary to root out "anti-state forces" and overcome political deadlock with the opposition-controlled parliament. What followed was a chaotic sequence of events that tested the structural resilience of South Korean democracy. Within an hour of the declaration, a military decree banned all activity by political parties and lawmakers."

Former president Yoon Suk Yeol received a life sentence for leading an insurrection by declaring martial law on 3 December 2024 and deploying troops to the National Assembly. The court found the action intended to paralyze the legislature, imposed a military decree banning political activity, and caused enormous social costs. The presiding judge cited a lack of remorse. Prosecutors sought the death penalty; the life term is the maximum alternative under South Korean law, with typical parole eligibility after about 20 years. The events produced a chaotic six-hour crisis that tested democratic institutions.

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