South Korea : Former President Jailed

The insurrection attempt was part of a failed plot to put South Korea under martial law, during the country’s worst political crises in decades.

The ruling was delivered by Seoul Central District Court judge Jee Kui-youn, and was lighter than the death penalty prosecutors had sought. The Judge told the court that the martial law declaration "resulted in enormous social costs," and that it was "difficult to find any indication that the defendant has expressed remorse."

On December 3, 2024, Yoon declared martial law in a hastily-arranged televised speech, claiming there were "anti-state forces" within opposition parties sympathetic to North Korea. Armed soldiers occupied the parliament and attempted to storm the chamber where lawmakers were gathered. The martial law order was overturned within a few hours after 60% of the 300 National Assembly lawmakers voted to lift it.

Yoon, who is 65, denied charges of insurrection, instead accusing the rival Democratic Party of obstructing his agenda, which he said forced him to declare martial law to maintain order. His lawyers called the verdict predetermined and said they would consider an appeal.

Facing rulings alongside him were seven former military officers and senior police officials. Former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who had previously taken responsibility for ordering soldiers to occupy Parliament, was also found guilty of insurrection and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

A special prosecutor had demanded the death penalty for Yoon, saying his actions posed a threat to the country's democracy, but most analysts expected a life sentence since the bungled attempt to take over the country did not result in casualties.

Yoon has been in jail since July 2025 after being sentenced to five years in prison on separate charges. After this week’s ruling, he still faces six more trials.

Yoon's conservative People Power Party (PPP) is now effectively crippled — decimated in the National Assembly and removed from the presidential office. President Lee Jae-myung and his Democratic Party of Korea hold both the presidency and the chamber, with the next assembly elections not until 2028 and the next presidential election not until 2030.

Conservatives now fear the ruling party may even move to expand the Supreme Court, effectively taking control of the judiciary as well as the elected branches of government.

President Lee has already instigated a large number of investigations into Yoon's administration, using special prosecutors, prosecutors, police, and military police.

With the PPP in ruins, there is now little political opposition to the President’s policy agenda though governing such a deeply divided country is always a challenge.

In short, the ruling closes the courtroom drama around the martial law crisis itself, but South Korean politics will remain deeply fractious, with a weakened conservative opposition, an emboldened progressive government, and a society still working through the impact of a bruising political event.

Asia Media Centre