A court in South Korea on Wednesday sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to a life sentence for declaring a December 2024 martial law, which the judges ruled as an act of rebellion.
Judges stated that the use of martial law without obeying the constitution seriously harms the democratic structure of state institutions. Prosecutors argued that it was a power-grabbing initiative to hold executive power and circumvent the legislature in a time of crisis.
The judges held that Yoon knew that he had overstepped the limits of his powers and that security forces were deployed outside constitutional means. The ruling came after a lengthy trial that ran over several months, including testimony of his administration’s top officials and secret documents introduced in court.
The former president had argued his actions were an effort to regain order and the country’s situation, and they were justified at the time.
He stated in his defense that it was not a try to overthrow the government but just a temporary measure to handle a situation.
Lawmakers who led the impeachment proceedings have applauded the ruling, seeing it as a defense of the principle of limits on executive powers. Two separate groups of critics and supporters gathered at the entrance of the court but were heavily guarded by the police force.
This is a landmark judgment in the modern day South Korea. Yoon will be seen to be appealing soon as his trial comes to a conclusion.