A South Korean court on Thursday (today) sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of insurrection over his 2024 declaration of martial law.

The ruling followed months of legal proceedings stemming from the controversial move, which prosecutors said was aimed at suppressing political opposition and weakening democratic institutions.

Yoon had abruptly declared martial law in a televised national address in December 2024, insisting that drastic measures were necessary to root out what he described as “anti-state forces.”

The decision sparked political tension and public outrage at the time, with critics accusing him of undermining democracy.

Delivering judgment at the Seoul Central District Court, presiding judge Ji Gwi-yeon said the former president deployed troops to the legislature in a bid to silence political opponents.

“The Court finds that the intention was to paralyse the assembly for a considerable period,” Ji said.

The judge added that the martial law declaration had serious consequences for the country.

“The declaration of martial law resulted in enormous social costs, and it is difficult to find any indication that the defendant has expressed remorse for that,” the court held.

After reviewing the evidence, the court pronounced its verdict.

“We sentence Yoon to life imprisonment,” the judge ruled, bringing an unprecedented legal chapter in South Korea’s political history to a close.

The martial law move had targeted the National Assembly of South Korea, which lawmakers and analysts said represented a direct challenge to the country’s democratic order.