On Feb. 19, 2026, the Seoul Central District Court found former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol guilty of orchestrating an insurrection and imposed a life term, rather than the death penalty sought by prosecutors. Judge Ji Gwi-yeon ruled that Yoon’s deployment of military units to the National Assembly and attempts to detain political opponents, including current President Lee Jae Myung, amounted to rebellion against constitutional rule. The verdict was broadcast live nationwide, and large numbers of both supporters and opponents gathered outside the courthouse.
The case stemmed from Yoon’s declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024 — South Korea’s first such declaration in over four decades. In a late-night address he accused the opposition Democratic Party of engaging in “anti-state activities” and colluding with “North Korean communists,” sending troops into central Seoul to surround the National Assembly and interfere with election operations. The order lasted only about six hours before being rescinded. That night, 190 lawmakers forced their way past military roadblocks to pass an emergency resolution rejecting the proclamation, including some members of Yoon’s own party.
Parliament impeached Yoon on Dec. 14, 2024, and on April 4, 2025 the Constitutional Court unanimously removed him from office, finding the martial law declaration unconstitutional and harmful to democracy. Yoon became the first sitting South Korean president to be detained in January 2025.
He was briefly released in March after a court revoked his detention order, but was taken into custody again in July 2025 and remained jailed through his trial. After the life sentence, Yoon was released from the Seoul Detention Center on March 8 when the prosecutor-general opted not to appeal orders canceling his detention — a move the opposition Democratic Party criticized as an “unacceptable display of leniency.”
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, arguing that Yoon spent more than a year beginning in October 2023 preparing the martial law plan and positioning key military leaders ahead of time. They cited his complete lack of remorse — he never apologized and continued to blame the opposition — as an aggravating factor. In his final testimony, Yoon denied all charges, asserting that declaring martial law was within presidential authority and blaming the opposition for crippling his government through obstruction and repeated impeachment efforts. South Korea has observed a de facto moratorium on executions since 1997, and the court ultimately handed down life imprisonment instead of capital punishment.
Joining Yoon in conviction, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun received a 30-year sentence for his central role in planning the proclamation and ordering troop deployments. Four other ex-military and police officers were sentenced to terms between 3 and 18 years. Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo had previously been given 23 years in a separate case, making him the first member of Yoon’s administration convicted of insurrection-related crimes.
This was not Yoon’s first conviction. On Jan. 16, 2026, a Seoul court sentenced him to 5 years in the initial of eight separate criminal trials, finding him guilty of resisting arrest, falsifying the martial law declaration, and bypassing a required full Cabinet meeting before issuing the order. Yoon’s lawyers said they would appeal. He still faces six additional criminal cases, including one alleging he ordered drone strikes into North Korean territory to provoke a confrontation that would justify martial law — an allegation he denies.
Yoon’s wife, former First Lady Kim Keon Hee, received a 20-month prison sentence on Jan. 28 after being convicted of accepting luxury gifts, such as Chanel bags and a diamond pendant, from Unification Church affiliates in exchange for political favors. She was acquitted of more serious charges including stock price manipulation and breaches of the Political Funds Act for lack of evidence, though prosecutors said they would challenge those dismissals. Prosecutors initially sought a 15-year term.
After Yoon’s removal, Lee Jae Myung won a special presidential election in June 2025 and took office. Lee, who had led the impeachment effort as former Democratic Party leader, appointed three independent counsels to investigate Yoon, his spouse, and associates. Those inquiries have led to indictments of more than 120 political and military figures. In a brief statement after the Feb. 19 ruling, President Lee’s office said it expected courts to decide based on law, principle, and public expectations. Yoon appealed his life sentence on Feb. 24, 2026, with his attorneys saying they had “a responsibility to clearly point out the problems with this decision.” His remaining trials continue.