Ex-South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol Gets Life Sentence for Insurrection

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to life in prison after a court found him guilty of leading an insurrection during his short-lived imposition of martial law, which plunged the country into political chaos and threatened decades of democratic progress, Helen Regan, Yoonjung Seo, and Gawon Bae reported for CNN.

On Dec. 3, 2024, Yoon, 65, declared martial law in a late-night televised address, alleging the presence of “anti-state forces” within opposition parties sympathetic to North Korea. (Photo: YANG SEUNG HAK, Office of the Presiden,t Republic of Korea)

The verdict closes a chapter in one of South Korea’s biggest political crises, a saga marked by dramatic twists that tested the country’s democratic institutions.

On Dec. 3, 2024, Yoon, 65, declared martial law in a late-night televised address, alleging the presence of “anti-state forces” within opposition parties sympathetic to North Korea.

Armed soldiers descended on parliament by helicopter and attempted to storm the chamber where lawmakers were gathered.

Citizens, lawmakers, and parliamentary staff rushed to barricade entrances and block the soldiers in chaotic scenes broadcast live.

Yoon reversed course within six hours after lawmakers forced their way into parliament and voted unanimously to nullify the declaration. The move revived memories of South Korea’s authoritarian past and triggered a constitutional crisis.

Since the late 1980s, South Korea has developed into a robust democracy with regular protests, free speech, fair elections, and peaceful transfers of power.

However, its political landscape remains deeply polarized, with leaders across the political spectrum frequently facing impeachment calls, investigations, and prosecution.