A South Korean court has sentenced former President, Yoon Yeon, to life imprisonment for aiding martial law.
The Seoul Central District Court delivered the verdict after finding Yoon guilty of leading a rebellion through his unconstitutional declaration, which mobilized military and police forces in an illegal bid to seize unchecked power.
The court sentenced the 65-year-old over his actions which was said threatened the nation’s democratic order and paralyze government’s functions and also target political opponents amid escalating tensions with the opposition-led parliament.
During the sitting on Thursday, the Presiding Judge, Jee Kui-Youn, stated that Yoon’s actions amounted to an intentional plot guilty of rebellion.
Kul-Youn also ruled against the convict’s mobilization of security forces in an illegal effort to usurp the liberal-led National Assembly, detain politicians and claim unchecked power for a considerable time.
The court-imposed life imprisonment rather than the death penalty sought by prosecutors, noting the grave nature of the crime but highlighting that Yoon’s planning lacked meticulous detail.
Yoon is already serving jail time from a prior conviction related to the martial law declaration and still faces two additional trials connected to the same events, potentially extending his legal battles.
Crowds of Yoon’s supporters gathered outside the court in protest, reflecting the enduring division his actions created across South Korean society and politics.
The ruling represents a significant step toward accountability, as Yoon became the first elected head of state in the country’s democratic era to receive such a severe custodial sentence for insurrection-related charges.
