Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been found guilty of orchestrating an uprising over his short-lived declaration of martial law in 2024. The Seoul Central District Court, which found Yeol guilty on Thursday, sentenced him to life in prison.
Prosecutors sought the death penalty for the disgraced ex-president, who was impeached and removed from office on December 3, 2024, over his declaration of martial law.
Seoul Central District Court Judge Jee Kui-youn, who handed down the sentence, said Yoon was guilty of leading a rebellion and committed acts that subverted the country’s constitutional order.
Several former military and police officials involved in enforcing Yoon’s martial law decree, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, were also convicted for their roles.
Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed martial law declaration
Yoon, a staunch conservative, defended his martial law decree as necessary to prevent liberals, whom he described as “anti-state” forces, from obstructing his agenda with their legislative majority.
The decree lasted about six hours before it was lifted after a quorum of lawmakers managed to break through a military blockade and voted unanimously to repeal the measure.
Dramatic footage from the chaotic night showed lawmakers shrinking the perimeter walls and fences of the National Assembly building in Seoul to block the martial law decree.
Despite a blockade by the military, 190 lawmakers successfully entered the chamber and voted 190-0 to repeal the decree.
Suspended, indicted and convicted
Yoon was suspended from office on December 14, 2024 after being impeached by lawmakers and was formally impeached by the Constitutional Court in April 2025. Since last July, he has been arrested while facing multiple criminal trials, with sedition charges carrying the harshest penalty.
Last month, Yoon was sentenced to five years in prison for resisting arrest, plotting to declare martial law and avoiding a statutory full cabinet meeting before announcing the measures.
The Seoul Central Court also convicted two members of Yoon’s Cabinet in other cases. Among them is Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who received 23 years in prison for trying to legitimize the decree by pushing it through cabinet meetings, falsifying records and lying under oath.
History of the Military Government of South Korea
For many South Koreans, Yoon’s attempt to declare martial law evoked memories of the country’s military rule after the 1950-53 Korean War.
From 1961 to 1987, South Korea was ruled by military-backed leaders until massive public protests, known as the June Democracy Struggle, forced the government to hold direct presidential elections.