Yoon Suk Yeol, the former president of South Korea, was sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating an uprising and attempting to impose military control. On December 3, 2024, a Seoul court decided that Yoon had tried to violate the constitution by ordering the arrest of politicians and using military forces to close the National Assembly. Presiding Judge Ji Gwi-yeon told the court that his acts had seriously harmed South Korea’s democracy and that he should be punished severely.
The death penalty had been sought by the prosecution. Yoon’s martial law order, however brief, left the country more divided than before, and those stark differences were evident at the sentence. Yoon, again” banners were held by large groups of Yoon’s supporters outside the court hours prior to the hearing. After the verdict, many of them started crying.
Protesters opposed to Yoon were also there, calling for his execution. When Yoon was informed of his fate, he remained emotionless. His attorneys said that the judge had followed a “pre-written script” and that the verdict was not supported by any evidence. It may take months before the ruling is finalised if either side files an appeal, which would take the issue all the way to the Supreme Court.
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