South Korea's Ex-President Appeals His Life Sentence

UPDATE Feb 24, 2026 12:30 AM CST

South Korea's ex-president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has appealed the life sentence he received over his brief imposition of martial law, which lasted about six hours in December 2024. Yoon faces multiple trials over what a court has called a "self-coup," and is appealing the sentence he received after his conviction on charges of rebellion, the AP reports. His lawyers say they will address "errors in fact-finding and misinterpretations of the law," adding in a statement, "We will never be silent about what we view as an excessive indictment by a special prosecutor, the contradictory judgment rendered by the lower court based on that premise, and its political circumstances."

Feb 19, 2026 7:31 AM CST

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.