Developing: South Korea Sentences Former President Yoon Suk Yeol to Life in Prison for Leading Insurrection — The Harshest Penalty Ever Imposed on a Democratically Elected Leader in the Nation's History
A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life imprisonment with hard labor on Thursday, February 19, finding him guilty of masterminding an insurrection when he declared martial law on December 3, 2024, in a dramatic attempt to shut down the National Assembly and arrest opposition politicians. The verdict makes Yoon the first democratically elected head of state in South Korea's modern history to receive the maximum custodial sentence, marking what the court called a necessary punishment for actions that 'fundamentally damaged South Korea's democracy.' Presiding judge Jee Kui-youn described Yoon as the 'insurrectionist leader' who deployed military troops to blockade parliament, attempted to arrest key figures including the assembly speaker and party leaders, and sought to seize control of the national election commission — all within a chaotic six-hour window before lawmakers fought their way into the building and voted down the martial law decree. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, arguing that Yoon committed 'a grave destruction of constitutional order,' but the court opted for life imprisonment, noting that while the crime was grave, Yoon's planning 'did not appear meticulous' and most of his plans ultimately failed. The sentencing, broadcast live on national television, laid bare the deep polarization that has gripped South Korea since that December night 14 months ago. Outside the Seoul Central District Court, roughly 1,000 police officers maintained order as Yoon's supporters — waving South Korean and American flags and chanting 'Yoon again' — clashed emotionally with progressive groups calling for the death penalty. Some supporters collapsed in tears, crying 'the country is finished,' while opponents erupted in cheers. Yoon himself showed no visible emotion as the sentence was delivered.