Former president Yoon Suk Yeol sentenced to life in prison as 'Ringleader of Insurrection' over Dec 3 Martial Law declaration

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to life imprisonment in his first trial on charges of leading an insurrection related to his declaration of martial law on December 3. The ruling comes 443 days after the declaration was announced.

On the afternoon of February 19, the 25th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Ji Gwi Yeon, handed down a life sentence to Yoon on charges of being the ringleader of an insurrection.

The court also delivered first-trial verdicts for seven senior military and police officials indicted on charges of playing key roles in the alleged insurrection. Former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun was sentenced to 30 years in prison; former Intelligence Command chief Noh Sang Won received 18 years; former National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji Ho was sentenced to 12 years; and former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Kim Bong Sik was given 10 years. Mok Hyun Tae, former head of the Seoul Police Agency’s National Assembly Guard Unit, was sentenced to three years.

Former Army Colonel Kim Yong Gun and former National Office of Investigation planning chief Yoon Seung Young were acquitted.

The case drew intense public attention as it directly addressed the legality of Yoon’s declaration of martial law - the very action that ultimately led to his impeachment.

In addition to this case, Yoon is currently standing trial in seven separate proceedings on charges including obstruction of arrest, the alleged deployment of drones to Pyongyang, and perjury.

The special counsel team investigating the insurrection had sought the death penalty, the maximum sentence under the law. Prosecutors argued that Yoon’s declaration of martial law did not follow lawful procedures and constituted a “riot aimed at disrupting the constitutional order,” alleging that he mobilized the military and police to restrict the functions of the National Assembly and key state institutions and to eliminate political opponents to monopolize and maintain power.

“The core issue is that troops were sent to the National Assembly.”

In its ruling, the court found that by declaring martial law on December 3, Yoon intended to exercise powers stronger than those permitted under the Constitution, infringing upon the authority of the National Assembly and fundamentally undermining administrative and judicial functions. The bench repeatedly emphasized that troops were dispatched to the National Assembly during the process.