A South Korean court on Thursday handed down a life sentence to former President Yoon Suk Yeol for leading an insurrection following his December 2024 martial law declaration.
The court convicted Yoon of leading and orchestrating the insurrection.
The 65-year-old former president denied wrongdoing, asserting he had legitimate authority to impose martial law and that his move was meant to sound the alarm about opposition parties blocking government functions.
In January, prosecutors argued that Yoon’s “unconstitutional and illegal emergency martial law” had undermined both the National Assembly and Election Commission, effectively destroying the country’s liberal democratic constitutional order.
Yoon’s martial law attempt lasted about six hours, triggering large-scale street demonstrations before parliament rapidly nullified it.
South Korean law stipulates that masterminding an insurrection is punishable by death or life imprisonment.
Although courts last issued a death sentence in 2016, South Korea has maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since 1997.
Yoon plans to appeal the verdict.
Yoon faces eight additional charges and received a five-year prison term last month in a separate case for obstructing authorities’ efforts to arrest him after his martial law declaration. He has appealed that sentence as well.
Reuters contributed to this report.