Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-youl stated on the 20th that his initial life sentence for being a leader of a sedition was "unacceptable," citing the court's logic of convicting him of sedition based on "sending troops to the National Assembly."
According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon Suk-youl's legal team met with him at the detention center that day and issued a statement on his behalf, stating that declaring martial law was a "national salvation decision" made for the country and its people, but Yoon Suk-youl also expressed deep regret for the suffering caused to the people by his "inadequacies."
It is reported that Yoon Suk-youl's legal team plans to file an appeal with the first-instance court next week.
On the 19th, Yoon Suk-youl was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Seoul Central District Court for being a leader of a sedition. The court pointed out that declaring martial law itself does not directly constitute sedition, but if its purpose is to paralyze the functioning of constitutional organs, it can constitute sedition. The court emphasized that the core of the case was Yoon Suk-youl's dispatch of troops to the National Assembly.
In addition to the case sentenced on January 19th, Yoon Suk-yol was sentenced to five years in prison on January 16th for obstructing the execution of special official duties. It is understood that Yoon Suk-yol is also involved in six other criminal cases, including general treason, with the remaining cases either currently under trial or about to be heard.
On December 3, 2024, then-President Yoon Suk-yol issued a state of emergency, citing the need to eliminate "North Korean forces." In January 2025, Yoon Suk-yol was first arrested and subsequently indicted multiple times on charges including abuse of power and deleting phone records. On January 13th of this year, the special prosecutor's team requested the court to sentence Yoon Suk-yol to death on charges of being a leader of an internal rebellion. (End)
