A former South Korean president has been sentenced to life in prison for leading an insurrection, after a court found him guilty of attempting to seize unchecked power when he ordered troops onto the streets of Seoul in December 2024. Yoon Suk Yeol, 65, was delivered to the Seoul Central District Court in a prison bus Thursday, appearing ashen-faced as the verdict was delivered.
The sentence, handed down by Judge Jee Kui-youn, marks a dramatic fall from grace for the former leader, who first gained national prominence as a prosecutor leading a corruption case against a previous South Korean president. Yoon had faced the possibility of the death penalty, a sentence sought by prosecutors, but the court ultimately opted for life imprisonment.
The conviction centers on Yoon’s declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024, an action the court deemed a “rebellion” intended to establish unchecked power for a “considerable time.” He had mobilized military and police forces in an attempt to seize control of the liberal-led National Assembly and arrest politicians, according to the court. The declaration was overturned six hours later after lawmakers defied armed police and military to gather in parliament and vote down the decree.
Yoon was subsequently impeached by parliament and arrested, facing multiple charges. Thursday’s verdict relates to the most serious of those charges – leading an insurrection. He remains subject to further trials concerning allegations of aiding an enemy state and violating campaign law. He has already appealed a five-year jail term handed down last month for obstructing arrest attempts after barricading himself inside the presidential compound for weeks following his impeachment.
His legal team indicated they would discuss appealing the life sentence, with Yoon Kab-Keun, a member of the team, questioning the fairness of the proceedings. “Watching what appears to be a collapse of the rule of law today, I am compelled to question whether we should proceed with an appeal or continue to participate in these criminal proceedings at all,” he said.
During the trial, Yoon claimed he was acting to counter “anti-state forces” and “eradicate pro-North Korean forces” to protect South Korea’s constitutional order. Supporters of the former president maintain that the country’s opposition is sympathetic to North Korea and China, and that the trial is politically motivated.
The case has revealed the influence of a former military advisor, Noh Sang Won, who became a spiritual confidant to Yoon. Noh, previously the chief of the Defence Intelligence Command, was convicted in 2018 of inappropriate behaviour towards a female cadet. He later established a fortune-telling business and allegedly advocated for conflict with North Korea to justify the martial law decree, with a notebook reportedly containing the instruction to “induce North Korea’s provocation at the Northern Limit Line.”
Professor Kyung Moon Hwang from the Australian National University noted that while the shamanistic elements of the case are unusual, they may not be the most significant aspect of the charges. “You’ll see so many strange and disturbing elements to this entire story,” he said. “The shamanistic elements, if they’re proven to be legitimate, I think would probably not even make the top 10 in terms of the incredibly terrible things that were done to prepare for and to try to execute this attempted takeover by Yoon.”
The legal troubles extend to Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, who was sentenced to 20 months in jail for accepting bribes, including a diamond pendant necklace, from officials of the Unification Church in exchange for political favours. Prosecutors are appealing the conviction, seeking a harsher penalty. The court has ordered the confiscation of the necklace. She was found not guilty of other charges, including stock price manipulation and violating the political funds act.
Yoon’s presidency also saw him move the presidential residency away from the traditional Blue House, at a cost of approximately $AUD64 million, citing its symbolism as representing “imperial power” and a belief that it was cursed.
Yoon is the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested, but not the first former leader to be imprisoned. Four previous presidents – Roh Tae-woo, Chun Doo-hwan, Park Geun-hye, and Lee Myung-bak – have been convicted of crimes ranging from bribery to insurrection, though all were eventually released on special pardons. Yoon previously led the prosecution of Park Geun-hye, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for corruption before receiving a pardon from Yoon’s predecessor.
Professor Hwang expressed disappointment that the death penalty was not imposed, given the evidence presented. South Korea has not carried out an execution since 1997, effectively maintaining a moratorium on capital punishment. He emphasized the broader threat to the democratic system, stating, “The larger issues surrounding Yoon’s family, his wife, those things I think ultimately will be proven not as critical as the fundamental crime here — that is, his militaristic, violent attempt to shut down the National Assembly.”
As Yoon’s legal team considers an appeal, public reaction remains divided. Supporters and detractors gathered outside the court Thursday, with some expressing hope for a reduced sentence or a pardon, while others demanded a harsher punishment. The outcome of any appeal remains uncertain.
