On the afternoon of the 19th, Seoul Central District Court issued a first-instance verdict against former President Yoon Suk-yeol on charges of being a leader of insurrection, sentencing Yoon to life imprisonment. After the verdict was announced, Yoon Suk-yeol's defense team stated their position, declaring they would 'fight to the end,' while the prosecution hinted at filing an appeal.
According to China News Service, after the verdict, Yoon Suk-yeol's defense team released a statement saying this trial was 'merely a formality for a predetermined conclusion,' and added that 'the court of history will ultimately reveal the truth, we will never yield to distortion and lies, and will fight to the end.'
The special investigation team for the insurrection responded to the verdict by saying it was a 'meaningful judgment,' but expressed regret over the fact-finding and sentencing, hinting at an appeal.
A spokesperson for the Blue House said there was no particular position on the first-instance verdict.
Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party, criticized the verdict, saying that for insurrection leader Yoon Suk-yeol, who undermined the foundation of the state, sentencing him to life imprisonment instead of the death penalty was a verdict that shakes judicial justice. South Korea's largest opposition party, the People Power Party, did not issue an official statement. Oh Se-hoon, a People Power Party member and mayor of Seoul, apologized to the nation and emphasized that the party must cut ties with Yoon Suk-yeol.
On the evening of December 3, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, citing the need to eradicate 'forces from the North,' issued an emergency martial law order. In January 2025, Yoon was arrested for the first time and later faced multiple indictments for abuse of power, deleting call records, and other charges. On January 13 this year, the special investigation team requested the court to sentence Yoon Suk-yeol to death on charges of leading an insurrection.
The special investigation team for the insurrection responded to the verdict by saying it was a 'meaningful judgment,' but expressed regret over the fact-finding and sentencing, hinting at an appeal.
A spokesperson for the Blue House said there was no particular position on the first-instance verdict.
Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party, criticized the verdict, saying that for insurrection leader Yoon Suk-yeol, who undermined the foundation of the state, sentencing him to life imprisonment instead of the death penalty was a verdict that shakes judicial justice. South Korea's largest opposition party, the People Power Party, did not issue an official statement. Oh Se-hoon, a People Power Party member and mayor of Seoul, apologized to the nation and emphasized that the party must cut ties with Yoon Suk-yeol.
On the evening of December 3, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, citing the need to eradicate 'forces from the North,' issued an emergency martial law order. In January 2025, Yoon was arrested for the first time and later faced multiple indictments for abuse of power, deleting call records, and other charges. On January 13 this year, the special investigation team requested the court to sentence Yoon Suk-yeol to death on charges of leading an insurrection.