Court Convicts Former President Yoon Suk Yeol to Life Imprisonment for Insurrection

A South Korean court handed down a life sentence to former President Yoon Suk Yeol after convicting him of orchestrating an insurrection. This came after Yoon's infamous December 2024 attempt to impose martial law, a move that deeply split the nation and intensified political tensions.

Presiding over a packed courtroom, Judge Jee Kui-youn elucidated how Yoon, in collusion with his then-defense minister, Kim Yong-hyun, disrupted the constitutional order by deploying troops to parliament. The act aimed to paralyze governmental functions and constituted insurrectionary actions, according to the judges.

Despite the intense backlash and legal consequences, Yoon maintains that declaring martial law was within his presidential prerogative. His legal team plans to appeal the decision, arguing the court overlooked crucial evidence. The case has ignited public discourse, reflecting on South Korea's democratic resilience.