Ex-South Korean president Yoon receives life sentence for imposing martial law

South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol attends a hearing of his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea (Lee Jin-man, Pool/AP)

Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to life in prison for his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024.

Judge Jee Kui-youn said he found Yoon guilty of rebellion for mobilising military and police forces in an illegal attempt to seize the liberal-led National Assembly, arrest politicians and establish unchecked power for a “considerable” time.