By Helen Regan, Yoonjung Seo, Gawon Bae, CNN
Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after a court found him guilty of leading an insurrection during his short-lived imposition of martial law, which plunged the country into political chaos and threatened to unravel decades of democracy.
The verdict closes a chapter of one of South Korea’s biggest political crises, a saga that has been full of dramatic twists that have tested the country’s democratic guardrails.
On December 3, 2024, Yoon declared martial law in a late-night televised speech, saying there were “anti-state forces” within opposition parties that were sympathetic to North Korea.
Armed soldiers descended on the parliament by helicopter and attempted to storm the chamber where lawmakers were gathered. Shocked and angry citizens, along with lawmakers and parliament staff, rushed to barricade the entrances and fought to block the soldiers from reaching the chamber in chaotic scenes broadcast live on television.
Yoon’s shocking declaration revived dark memories of the country’s authoritarian past, plunged South Korea into a constitutional crisis and was widely condemned as striking at the heart of the nation’s democracy. He reversed course within six hours, after lawmakers forced their way into parliament and voted unanimously to block it.
Since the late 1980s, South Korea has transformed into a robust democracy, with regular protests, free speech, fair elections and peaceful transfers of power. The country has also since grown into a major player in the global economy and remains a crucial US ally in Asia.
But its domestic political scene remains deeply polarized and fractious, with presidents on both sides of the political divide often facing calls for impeachment, criminal investigations and prosecution.
A crowd of Yoon supporters gathered outside the the Seoul Central District Court, watching proceedings on a big screen as it was broadcast live to the nation.
Presiding judge Ji Gwi-yeon said it was clear that Yoon’s intention in declaring martial law was to paralyze the National Assembly for a significant period of time, considering the words he used in the military decree and the fact he tried to arrest political opponents, including the leader of the opposition Democratic Party and his own ruling party’s leader Han Dong-hoo.
The very act of dispatching armed soldiers to the parliament building and transporting them by helicopter constituted acts of insurrection, Ji said.
Former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun was also found guilty Thursday of playing a major role in the insurrection. Kim had previously taken responsibility for ordering soldiers to enact martial law.
This is a breaking news story. More to come.
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