South Korea’s Ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol sentenced to life over power abuse, martial law orders

A South Korean court in a historic verdict on Thursday has handed down a life sentence in jail to former president Yoon Suk Yeol.

The court delivered a ruling after finding the president guilty of abuse of power and masterminding an insurrection, driven by his attempt to impose martial law in 2024.

According to the court’s ruling, Yoon Suk Yeo’s effort to impose military-driven martial law amounted to “rebellion”, aiming to consolidate unchecked power for a “considerable time.”

The recent decision goes against the wishes of prosecutors, who had sought the death penalty in the case.

In January, prosecutors had said Yoon's “unconstitutional and illegal emergency martial law undermined the function of the National Assembly and the Election Commission ... actually destroying the liberal democratic constitutional order.”

Under South Korean law, if one is indicted for masterminding an insurrection, the person would be liable to two types of punishments: a maximum sentence of the death penalty or life imprisonment.

Moreover, the court will also deliver its verdict on charges when Yoon abused his position to persecute the opponents and jail them. He also dispatched forces to block access to facilities such as the opposition party’s building.

The 65-year-old denied these charges and claimed that he had presidential power to impose martial law, aiming to prevent opposition-fuelled chaos and maintain law and order.

The declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024 led Yoon to fall from office.

The trial is the most consequential one for the ousted leader, leading to a political crisis and massive polarization of the country.