July 2024: Yoon Suk‑yeol is taken into custody after a weeks‑long standoff at his home, beginning his detention while multiple criminal investigations proceed[3].

Dec 3, 2024: In a televised address Yoon declares martial law, accusing opposition parties of colluding with “North Korean communists” and orders troops to descend on the National Assembly by helicopter, suspending political activity, media, and permitting warrantless arrests[2][3].

Dec 3, 2024 (≈ 6 hours later): A quorum of lawmakers breaks the military blockade, votes unanimously to lift the martial‑law decree, and restores parliamentary functions, ending the brief six‑hour crisis[3].

Dec 14, 2024: The National Assembly votes to impeach Yoon for abuse of power and insurrection, initiating constitutional proceedings against the former president[3].

April 2025: South Korea’s Constitutional Court formally removes Yoon from office, confirming the impeachment and ending his presidency[3].

1996‑1997 (historical context): Former military dictator Chun Doo‑hwan receives a death sentence in 1996 that is later commuted to life imprisonment and pardoned in 1997, the last time a South Korean leader faces a capital‑punishment‑level sentence[3].

1997 (historical context): South Korea enforces a de facto moratorium on executions, with no death carried out since 1997, shaping expectations that Yoon will not face capital punishment despite prosecutors’ request[5].

Jan 16, 2026: A Seoul court hands Yoon a five‑year prison term for defying detainment and creating the martial‑law proclamation, the first verdict among eight criminal cases tied to the 2024 crisis; the judge cites Yoon’s lack of remorse and “hard‑to‑comprehend” excuses[4].

Feb 19, 2026: The Seoul Central District Court sentences Yoon to life imprisonment for insurrection, with Judge Jee Kui‑youn stating Yoon deliberately tried to paralyze the National Assembly by sealing it with troops; special prosecutors had sought the death penalty, but the court opts for life due to limited premeditation and Yoon’s age[7][6].

Feb 19, 2026 (quote): Yoon denounces the verdict as “a delusion and a work of fiction,” claiming his martial‑law decree was merely a warning to the public about parliamentary gridlock[1]; Judge Ji Gwi‑yeon warns the episode caused “incalculable” damage to South Korea’s democratic fabric[6].

Feb 19, 2026 (co‑defendants): Former Defense Minister Kim Yong‑hyun receives a 30‑year term, former Prime Minister Han Duck‑soo 23 years, and other senior officials receive sentences ranging from 10 to 18 years for enforcing the illegal decree[5][6].

Feb 19, 2026 (political reaction): The People Power Party is urged to sever ties with Yoon, while the Democratic Party expresses regret that the death penalty was not imposed, highlighting ongoing partisan rifts[6].

Later 2026 (future): Yoon’s legal team announces plans to appeal the life‑sentence, indicating that higher‑court proceedings will extend the judicial saga into the remainder of 2026[7].