By Mark Tanos
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will spend the rest of his life behind bars after a court convicted him of rebellion for ordering soldiers to surround the country’s legislature in December 2024.
Judge Jee Kui-youn of the Seoul Central District Court delivered the sentence Thursday, finding the 65-year-old conservative leader guilty of illegally mobilizing military and police forces to seize the National Assembly and detain political opponents, according to the Associated Press (AP). The court determined Yoon sought to establish unchecked authority for an indefinite period. His declaration was the first such emergency measure in more than 40 years.
The chaos started during a late-night televised address on Dec. 3, 2024, when Yoon accused opposition parties of harboring “anti-state forces” with sympathies toward North Korea, CNN reported. Armed troops arrived at parliament by helicopter and tried to force their way into the chamber. Citizens and legislative staff rushed to block entrances, barricading doors against the soldiers in scenes broadcast live across the nation. The decree collapsed roughly six hours later after lawmakers voted unanimously to reject it. (RELATED: The End Of The Miracle That Is South Korea)
Yoon maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, according to Fox News. He argued that the constitution granted him authority to impose martial law and that his actions were intended to alert the public to obstruction by opposition lawmakers. His legal team is expected to challenge the verdict.
A South Korean court ordered life in prison for former President Yoon Suk Yeol for abuse of authority and masterminding an insurrection stemming from his December 2024 attempt to impose martial law https://t.co/5t4dRgCbyO pic.twitter.com/kj34prCOT5
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 19, 2026
Defense attorneys dismissed the trial as a “formality” designed to reach a foregone conclusion, NBC News reported. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik demanded Yoon acknowledge his wrongdoing and apologize to the Korean people following the ruling.
Several top officials also received lengthy prison terms, according to the AP. Former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun drew a 30-year sentence for his role in planning and executing the decree. Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo received 23 years for attempting to legitimize the measure through a cabinet meeting.
Yoon became the first former South Korean president sentenced to life since military dictator Chun Doo-hwan faced a similar punishment in 1996. South Korea has not carried out an execution since 1997.
