South Korea Sentences Former President Yoon Suk‑Yeol to Life for 2024 Martial‑Law Insurrection

Updated 2026-02-19 09:05:12+00:00 (125 articles)

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National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik (C) speaks to reporters at the National Assembly in Seoul on Feb. 19, 2026, after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life imprisonment for his failed bid to impose martial law in 2024. (Yonhap) Source Full size
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Former President Yoon Suk Yeol (Yonhap) Source Full size
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(URGENT) Court sentences ex-President Yoon to life imprisonment over martial law bid - 1 Source Full size
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Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min (Pool photo) (Yonhap) Source Full size
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Former President Yoon Suk Yeol (Yonhap) Source Full size
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Former President Yoon Suk Yeol (Yonhap) Source Full size
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A TV screen at Seoul Station in the capital on Feb. 19, 2026, shows a broadcast of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's insurrection trial. (Yonhap) Source Full size
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Supporters of former President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally near the Seoul Central District Court in the capital on Feb. 19, 2026, to proclaim his innocence as Yoon is set to receive the first verdict at the court the same day on whether his 2024 imposition of martial law constituted an insurrection following special prosecutors' recommendation of the death penalty. (Yonhap) Source Full size
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(URGENT) Court sentences ex-President Yoon to life imprisonment over martial law bid - 1 Source Full size
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Former President Yoon Suk Yeol (Yonhap) Source Full size
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The insurrection trial of former President Yoon Suk Yeol is held at the Seoul Central District Court in the capital on Jan. 9, 2026, in this photo provided by the court. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) Source Full size
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Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min (Pool photo) (Yonhap) Source Full size

Life Sentence Delivered After Dec 3, 2024 Power Grab The Seoul Central District Court sentenced former President Yoon Suk‑Yeol to life imprisonment on 19 February 2026 for leading an insurrection tied to his six‑hour martial‑law declaration on 3 December 2024 [2][3]. Judges concluded Yoon attempted to cripple the National Assembly by ordering troops to seal the parliamentary compound [1][4]. The court’s verdict diverged from special prosecutors’ death‑penalty request, citing the failed nature of the coup and Yoon’s age as mitigating factors [2][6].

Martial‑Law Decree Briefly Halted Democratic Processes Yoon announced martial law, suspending political activity, controlling media, and authorising warrantless arrests, before a quorum of lawmakers broke the military blockade and lifted the decree after roughly six hours [3][4]. The National Assembly’s swift reversal forced Yoon to rescind the order, underscoring the limited force deployed and the absence of casualties [6][7]. The episode led to Yoon’s impeachment on 14 December 2024 and formal removal by the Constitutional Court in April 2025 [3][11].

Co‑Defendants Receive Lengthy Prison Terms Former Defense Minister Kim Yong‑hyun was sentenced to 30 years, former Prime Minister Han Duck‑soo to 23 years, former police chief Cho Ji‑ho to 12 years, and former Seoul police chief Kim Bong‑sik to 10 years for executing the illegal decree [2][4][7]. Additional officials, including former interior minister Lee Sang‑min, received seven‑year terms, though prosecutors had sought fifteen years [12]. The coordinated convictions illustrate the court’s view that the scheme required extensive bureaucratic participation [1][6].

Yoon Already Serves Separate Five‑Year Term; Appeals Anticipated Yoon is concurrently serving a five‑year sentence for obstructing investigators, imposed in a separate obstruction case [2][11]. His legal team labeled the verdict a “formality” and announced plans to appeal after consulting the former president [2][5]. Special counsel Cho Eun‑suk’s team, while praising the ruling as “meaningful,” also indicated an intention to pursue an appeal of the life sentence [2][5].

Political Fallout and Public Reaction National Assembly Speaker Woo Won‑shik publicly urged Yoon to apologize, criticizing the court’s mitigation of the failed insurrection [5]. The sentencing hearing took place in the historic courtroom where former President Chun Doo‑hwan was sentenced in 1996, and supporters gathered outside to proclaim Yoon’s innocence [2][7]. The trial was broadcast live, allowing nationwide observation of the unprecedented life‑imprisonment of a former civilian president [7][11].

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Timeline

1996 – Courts recommend the death penalty for former President Chun Doo‑hwan over his 1979 coup, a sentence later commuted to life, illustrating South Korea’s rare use of capital punishment. [3]

1997 – South Korea ceases executions, making the death penalty effectively abolished and setting a backdrop for prosecutors’ later death‑penalty demands. [13]

2021 – Former President Park Geun‑hye is jailed for abuse of power and bribery, then pardoned, providing a recent precedent for prosecuting ex‑leaders. [2]

Dec 3 2024 – President Yoon Suk Yeol declares martial law, orders troops and helicopters to the National Assembly, arrests opposition leaders, and seals the parliament; the decree collapses after six hours when lawmakers overturn it. [4]

July 2025 – Yoon is re‑arrested on additional martial‑law‑related charges after a July detention, extending his legal jeopardy. [13]

Sept 26 2025 – Yoon’s insurrection trial opens at Seoul Central District Court, marking the first courtroom hearing of the case. [25]

Dec 1 2025 – Seoul court schedules a hearing on an arrest‑warrant request for PPP lawmaker Choo Kyung‑ho over his alleged role in the Dec 3 martial‑law incident. [28]

Dec 2 2025 – Choo appears for the arrest‑warrant hearing; the court later denies the warrant, citing insufficient evidence of flight risk or evidence tampering. [27][26]

Dec 2 2025 – Special prosecutors raid special‑counsel Cho Eun‑suk’s office to seize documents on former first lady Kim Keon‑hee, intensifying the broader corruption probe. [29]

Dec 4 2025 – Prosecutors add a perjury indictment against Yoon for allegedly false testimony about a pre‑planned Cabinet meeting. [25]

Dec 7 2025 – Prosecutors indict PPP lawmaker Choo Kyung‑ho and former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo‑ahn for inciting insurrection linked to the martial‑law decree. [24]

Dec 11 2025 – Former Justice Minister Park Sung‑jae is indicted on insurrection charges for coordinating actions that supported Yoon’s martial‑law regime. [23]

Dec 14 2025 – Special counsel reports Yoon began preparations for a martial‑law bid before Oct 2023, more than a year before the Dec 2024 decree. [22]

Dec 15 2025 – Court sets Jan 16 2026 for the verdict on Yoon’s obstruction‑of‑justice charge stemming from the martial‑law episode. [21]

Dec 19 2025 – Yoon appears before a special counsel as a suspect in his wife Kim Keon‑hee’s bribery case, accused of facilitating illegal gifts. [20]

Dec 26 2025 – Independent counsel seeks a 10‑year prison term for Yoon in the first martial‑law trial, accusing him of abuse of power and document falsification. [18]

Dec 26 2025 – Special counsel also requests a 10‑year term for Yoon on obstruction charges, proposing a split sentence of five, three and two years. [17]

Dec 26 2025 – Prosecutors indict Yoon for election‑law violations tied to a false statement made during a 2021 presidential debate. [19]

Jan 9 2026 – Final hearing in Yoon’s insurrection trial takes place; prosecutors ask for death, life imprisonment, or life without forced labor, calling the act a “self‑coup.” [16]

Jan 9 2026 – Court postpones Yoon’s sentencing hearing to the following week, extending the trial timeline. [14]

Jan 9 2026 – The court further delays the sentencing request to Jan 13. [15]

Jan 13 2026 – Prosecutors close arguments and demand the death penalty, arguing there are “no mitigating circumstances.” [3]

Jan 13 2026 – Special counsel demands the death penalty, labeling Yoon the “ringleader of an insurrection” aimed at establishing a dictatorship. [13]

Jan 15 2026 – Seoul Central District Court schedules Yoon’s obstruction‑sentence hearing for 2 p.m. on Jan 16 and approves a live broadcast. [12]

Jan 15 2026 – The National Assembly introduces a bill for a second special‑counsel probe into Yoon’s martial‑law decree and related allegations; a vote is slated for the next day. [11]

Jan 15 2026 – Media note Yoon faces eight criminal trials tied to the martial‑law episode, with the first insurrection verdict expected in February. [1]

Jan 16 2026 – Court convicts Yoon of abuse of power, obstruction and falsifying documents, sentencing him to five years; prosecutors had sought ten years. [2]

Jan 17 2026 – Yoon’s lawyers denounce the five‑year ruling as “purely based on political reasoning” and announce an immediate appeal. [10]

Jan 21 2026 – Former Prime Minister Han Duck‑soo receives a 23‑year prison term for rebellion related to the Dec 3 insurrection; the court calls the decree a “self‑coup.” [8]

Jan 21 2026 – Yoon’s defense team rejects perjury charges, insisting the Cabinet meeting was pre‑planned and necessary. [9]

Jan 22 2026 – The court upholds Han’s 23‑year sentence, reinforcing legal pressure on Yoon’s inner circle. [5]

Jan 26 2022026 – Han and special counsel file appeals against the 23‑year sentence; the appeal division is set to hear the case beginning Feb 23. [7]

Feb 19 2026 – Court sentences Yoon to life imprisonment for insurrection, concluding the major political crisis; the judge says Yoon aimed to paralyze the National Assembly. [4]

Feb 19 2026 – Separate report confirms Yoon’s conviction for insurrection, cementing the life‑sentence outcome. [6]

Feb 2026 (post‑verdict) – Yoon and Han each have seven days to file appeals, with hearings scheduled for late February, extending the legal saga. [2][7]

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