A South Korean court on Thursday sentenced ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison for leading a failed 2024 martial law insurrection, making him the first elected leader in the country’s democratic era to receive the maximum sentence.
Under South Korean law, leading an insurrection carries three possible sentences: death, life imprisonment with labour, or life imprisonment without labour.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, arguing Yoon Suk Yeol committed “a grave destruction of constitutional order” by mobilising troops to surround parliament and attempting to arrest political opponents during the six‑hour crisis.
Yoon denied wrongdoing, calling the investigation a “political conspiracy” and saying the ruling “only affirmed a pre-written script and is not backed by evidence.”
He claimed he declared martial law to alert citizens to what he described as an unconstitutional parliamentary dictatorship by the then-opposition Democratic Party and alleged election fraud. His legal team argued troops were largely unarmed and there was no intent to disrupt constitutional order.
The conservative former career prosecutor argued Yoon had presidential authority to declare martial law and that his action was aimed at sounding the alarm over opposition parties' obstruction of government.
The insurrection occurred on 3 December 2024, when Yoon attempted to paralyse the legislature, arrest political opponents, and seize control of the national election commission. Within hours, 190 lawmakers broke through military and police cordons to pass an emergency resolution lifting martial law. Parliament impeached Yoon within 11 days, and the constitutional court removed him from office four months later.
The court found Yoon guilty of abuse of authority and acts intended to subvert constitutional order, including ordering the capture of political opponents, among them current President Lee Jae Myung.
Officials linked to the attempt received sentences as follows:
Yoon also faces additional trials over "benefiting the enemy" (or aiding an enemy state) regarding North Korea, violating campaign law, perjury, election interference, and obstructing military and civil investigations.
The court dismissed procedural objections raised by his legal team but noted insufficient evidence to prove he had planned the martial law declaration a year in advance.
South Korea last handed down a death sentence in 2016, but has not executed anyone since 1997.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in Belarus, Moscow's Human Rights Commissio...
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time bein...
More than half of the Syrian city of Aleppo's ancient markets have now been rebuilt, over a decade after they were reduced to rubble during the...
Oil prices fell after the U.S. expanded economic sanctions on Iran, as Tehran vowed to retaliate and warned it had tools to respond, raising concerns over potential disruption to regional oil supplies.
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Only four commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following 13 transits a day earlier, as disruptions continue to restrict traffic through the key energy chokepoint.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time being”, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have resumed talks on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in Belarus, Moscow's Human Rights Commissioner, Yana Lantratova, has said.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in Belarus, Moscow's Human Rights Commissioner, Yana Lantratova, has said.
Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri has acknowledged that few teenagers used Instagram’s “Take a Break” feature before it became a default setting, as Meta faces a major U.S. trial over child safety.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 26th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. President Donald Trump has formally sent a landmark nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress, opening a new phase in a deal that has already sparked debate over nuclear proliferation and Riyadh's ambitions.
The Trump administration has temporarily suspended some visa appointment scheduling at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world as part of a new training initiative for consular staff, adding another layer to the administration's broader immigration policy overhaul.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment