Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life imprisonment Thursday after being found guilty of leading an insurrection during his declaration of martial law in December 2024.
The ruling, delivered by Seoul Central District Court Judge Jee Kui-youn, was lighter than the death penalty prosecutors sought at the trial’s final hearing in January. The ruling was aired live on South Korea’s major broadcasters.
Jee said in the verdict that Yoon led an insurrection and committed acts to subvert the country’s constitutional order.
The court added that Yoon “took the lead in planning the crime and involved a large number of people,” and that it was “difficult to see any sign of remorse from the defendant, who also refused to appear in court.”
Yoon had previously reportedly refused to appear in court for questioning last year.
