Seoul, Feb. 19: Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday after a court found him guilty of leading an insurrection over his imposition of a brief period of martial law.

According to the Associated Press, Judge Jee Kui-youn found Yoon guilty of rebellion. The court alleged he illegally mobilised military and police forces in an attempt to seize the liberal-led National Assembly, arrest politicians, and establish unchecked power for a considerable period.

A special prosecutor had sought the death penalty, argueing that Yoon’s actions threatened the foundations of South Korea’s democracy and warranted the harshest punishment. Yoon is expected to appeal against the verdict.

Yoon declared martial law on December 3, 2024, sending troops to surround the National Assembly in an effort to overcome an opposition-controlled legislature.

Lawmakers managed to break thrugh a military blockade. A quorum was formed and the Assembly unanimously voted to lift the decree. The order was withdrawn after about six hours, the Associated Press reported.

Yoon, a conservative leader, had defended the move as necessary to counter what he called ‘anti-state’ liberal forces obstructing his agenda.

Yoon was impeached by lawmakers on December 14, 2024, and was formally removed from office by the Constitutional Court of Korea in April 2025.

He has been under arrest since July 2025 while facing multiple criminal trials, with the rebellion charge carrying the most severe penalty.

Last month, he was separately sentenced for five years to prison for resisting arrest, fabricating the martial law proclamation and bypassing a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting before declaring the measure.

South Korea has not carried out an execution since 1997.-Agencies