Former South Korean president Yoon gets life in prison for imposing martial law
Listen to this article
Average 3 minutes
The audio version of this article was created by AI-based technology. It can be mispronounced. We are working with our partners to continuously review and improve the results.
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to life in prison for briefly imposing martial law in the dramatic end to the biggest political crisis in decades.
Yoon fell from power after an ill-advised attempt to defeat the opposition-controlled legislature by declaring martial law and sending troops to surround the legislature on December 3, 2024.
Judge Jee Kui-youn said he found Yoon guilty of treason for joining the military and police in an illegal attempt to seize the liberal-led National Assembly, arresting politicians and establishing unchecked power for a “reasonable” time. Yoon may appeal the sentence.
The death penalty
The special prosecutor sought the death penalty for Yoon, saying his actions threatened the country’s democracy and deserved the harshest punishment available, but many analysts expected a life sentence since the ill-conceived power grab caused no injuries.
South Korea has not executed a death row inmate since 1997, in what is widely seen as a freeze on the death penalty amid calls for it to be abolished.
When Yoon arrived at the court, hundreds of police officers watched Yoon’s supporters gather outside the court, crying loudly as the prison bus carrying him passed by. Yoon’s critics rallied around, demanding the death penalty.
The court also convicted and sentenced several former military and police officials involved in enforcing Yoon’s martial law, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who received a 30-year sentence for his key role in organizing the move and mobilizing the military.
Yoon, a hardliner, defended his declaration of martial law as necessary to prevent liberals, whom he described as “anti-national” forces, from blocking his agenda with their legislative majority.
The decision lasted for about six hours before it was lifted after a number of lawmakers managed to break through the blockaded area by the military and voted unanimously to approve the measure.
Yoon was suspended on Dec. 14, 2024, after being prosecuted by lawmakers and officially removed by the Constitutional Court in April 2025. He has been in custody since last July while facing multiple criminal charges, the crime of sedition carries the heaviest penalty.
Last month, Yoon was sentenced to five years in prison for resisting arrest, creating a declaration of martial law and skipping a full Cabinet meeting that was officially approved before announcing the move.
The Seoul High Court also convicted two members of Yoon’s cabinet in other cases. That includes Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who received a 23-year prison sentence for trying to legitimize the decision by forcing it through a Cabinet Council meeting, falsifying records and lying under oath. Han appealed the decision.
