Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol sentenced to life imprisonment in the first trial for alleged incitement of rebellion

2026-02-19 07:12:41

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On February 19th local time, the Seoul Central District Court in South Korea issued a first-instance verdict in the case of former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s alleged instigation of insurrection, sentencing Yoon Suk-yeol to life imprisonment.

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On January 13th of this year, South Korea’s special prosecutor team responsible for investigating the emergency martial law incident requested the court to sentence Yoon Suk-yeol to death on charges of leading an insurrection. During the closing trial, Yoon Suk-yeol still insisted that the martial law was merely a “warning” and “call for” measure, exercised under the powers granted to the president by the constitution.

Yoon Suk-yeol is the first former president in nearly 30 years to sit in the defendant’s seat on charges related to insurrection, following Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo. The prosecution stated that Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo had been convicted and sentenced for their roles in the December 1979 military coup and the May 1980 emergency martial law incident. Despite this historical lesson, such cases still occur. Therefore, when sentencing the defendant, the possibility of reoffending must be seriously considered.

According to South Korean law, leaders of insurrection can be sentenced to death or life imprisonment. The prosecution stated that although South Korea is regarded internationally as a country that has “effectively abolished the death penalty,” the death penalty can still be used for sentencing and verdicts.

(Source: CCTV News App)

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