The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday found former President Yoon Suk Yeol guilty of insurrection and undermining the constitution.

Judges ruled that his declaration of martial law in December 2024 was intended to paralyze the National Assembly.

What did the court say about Yoon?

The court sentenced the 65-year-old to life in prison, despite a plea by prosecutors for the death sentence.

Presiding judge Jee Gwi-yeon said Yoon's actions amounted to an intentional plot.

Jee said Yoon was guilty of rebellion for mobilizing security forces in an illegal effort to usurp the liberal-led National Assembly, detain politicians and claim unchecked power for a "considerable" time.

"The declaration of martial law resulted in enormous social costs, and it is difficult to find any indication that the defendant has expressed remorse for that," Jee said.  "We sentence Yoon to life imprisonment."

Yoon can appeal the verdict. He had consistently denied wrongdoing, claiming that he acted to "safeguard freedom" and restore constitutional order. Thousands of his supporters had gathered outside the courthouse with placards demanding that the charges be dropped.

A special prosecutor had said Yoon deserved the most serious punishment available, even though South Korea has not executed a death row inmate since 1997 in a de facto moratorium on capital punishment. 

Yoon had already been found guilty and sentenced for charges that included fabricating official documentation and destroying potential criminal evidence.

The court also sentenced former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun to 30 years in prison for his role in the attempted power grab.

Who is Yoon Suk Yeol?

Born in Seoul in 1960, Yoon studied law and became a public prosecutor and anti-corruption proponent.

He played a key role in the 2016 impeachment of Park Geun-hye, South Korea's first female president, who was later convicted for abuse of power and imprisoned. He also indicted a senior aide of Park's successor, Moon Jae-in, in a fraud and bribery case.

Yoon became the presidential candidate of the conservative People Power Party, and won a March 2022 election by the slimmest margin in the country's history. A series of scandals ensued, including his administration's handling of a 2022 Halloween crowd crush that killed more than 150 people.

Yoon was accused of abusing presidential vetoes, including his striking down of a bill to allow a special investigation into alleged stock manipulation by his wife. He was also blamed for inflation, a floundering economy and increasing limits on freedom of speech.

His failed attempt to sieze power hit a nerve with many older South Koreans, awaking memories of past military coups that rocked the nation between 1960 and 1980.

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar