Former South Korean President Yoon sentenced to life in prison for declaring martial law
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to life in prison for leading an insurrection associated with his declaration of martial law in December 2024. The martial law order lasted less than half a day before the National Assembly reversed it in a 190-0 vote. Yoon was impeached and removed from office, with the Constitutional Court officially confirming the decision on April 4, 2025. On February 19, 2026, Seoul Central District Court Judge Ji Gwi-yeon found Yoon guilty of insurrection, accusing him of mobilizing military and police to seize the National Assembly, arrest politicians, and consolidate power for a considerable period, actions described as a riot that destabilized the country.
Prosecutors had asked for the death penalty,but Judge Ji indicated that while Yoon deserved a severe penalty for the upheaval,he did not impose the death penalty because there was no use of lethal force and yoon was 65 years old. Yoon denies the charges and plans to appeal within a week under South Korean law. This is his second conviction: in January he was sentenced to five years in prison for related martial-law charges.
Former South Korean President Yoon sentenced to life in prison for declaring martial law
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for declaring martial law in his country on Dec. 3, 2024. His decree lasted less than half a day before legislators in South Korea’s National Assembly were able to reverse the order in a 190-0 vote. He was impeached and removed from office, a decision the South Korean Constitutional Court made official on April 4, 2025. On Thursday, Judge Ji Gwi-yeon of Seoul Central District Court found Yoon guilty of leading an insurrection.
Yoon’s crimes included leading a “rebellion for mobilizing military and police forces in an illegal attempt to seize the liberal-led National Assembly, arrest politicians, and establish unchecked power for a ‘considerable’ time,” according to multiple sources. Judge Ji said Yoon’s actions were the equivalent of a “riot” and brought instability to the country, the New York Times reported.
It was the second conviction and sentencing for the former South Korean president. Previously, prosecutors alleged that the martial law order was an “unconstitutional and illegal emergency martial law undermined the function of the National Assembly and the Election Commission … actually destroying the liberal democratic constitutional order.” In January, he was sentenced to five years in prison for charges related to the martial law decree.
Yoon denied the charges against him and claimed he had the authority to declare martial law based on his assessment of an imminent threat to the country stemming from his political opposition’s efforts to obstruct the government. He is expected to appeal the conviction and has a week to do so under South Korean law.
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Prosecutors in the case recommended the death penalty as punishment for Yoon, given the severity of his crimes. Judge Ji believed Yoon deserved a severe penalty for his martial law decree. He said Yoon caused “incalculable damage” across the country, sparking political division and discontent, according to the New York Times. Ji also claimed that Yoon “flouted legal procedures and resorted to violent means to try to incapacitate the National Assembly and undermine democratic norms.”
However, he stopped short of giving him the death penalty for several reasons, including the fact that Yoon did not use “lethal force” during his imposition of martial law and the fact that the former South Korean president was 65 years old, according to the New York Times.
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