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.
