South Korea has put a former president behind bars for life, with hard labor, over what a court has labeled an attempted "self-coup." A Seoul court on Thursday found Yoon Suk Yeol guilty of leading an insurrection tied to his Dec. 3, 2024, declaration of martial law, ruling he tried to use troops to seal off parliament, detain political leaders, and cripple the nation's legislature. Prosecutors had pushed for the death penalty, per the Guardian. Judge Ji Gwi-yeon instead cited Yoon's haphazard planning and limited use of force, as well as the ultimate failure of much of the plot. The judge also said he was taking the 65-year-old Yoon's age into account, per the New York Times.
However, the court still stressed Yoon's lack of remorse and the damage to South Korea's democracy and global standing in handing down the ruling, per the Guardian. The verdict, broadcast live nationwide, makes Yoon the first democratically elected South Korean leader to receive a maximum custodial sentence. The AP notes that Yoon remained "expressionless" and staring straight ahead as the verdict was read.
Five former security, intel, and police chiefs were also handed prison terms of between three and 30 years over the failed six-hour power grab, which lawmakers quickly overturned before impeaching Yoon, per the Guardian. His lawyers blasted the ruling as a "show trial" driven by politics and vowed to appeal. Yoon still faces six more criminal trials, including a treason case, in a country where every ex-president who went to prison has eventually been pardoned.
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