Former South Korean president sentenced to life in prison

Former South Korean president sentenced to life in prison

Former South Korean President Yoon Seok-yol was found guilty of imposing martial law and inciting rebellion in late 2024 and sentenced to life in prison. He had been president since May 2022, was removed from office by the National Assembly in December 2024 for briefly declaring martial law, was impeached in April 2025, and was arrested.

In January 2026, a court also sentenced him to five years in prison on charges of abuse of power and resisting arrest. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, but under the law, the charge of leading a rebellion carries three possible sentences: death, life with hard labor, or life without hard labor.

Yoon Seok-yol's wife, Kim Gong-hee, was also sentenced to one year and eight months in prison for accepting expensive gifts from a religious organization. He and Yun Seok-yol are the first presidential couple in South Korean history to be imprisoned at the same time.