A look at major events that led to ex-South Korean president's conviction over martial law
ABC News
A South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison for rebellion tied to his short-lived martial law order
SEOUL, South Korea -- A South Korean court on Thursday sentenced to life in prison former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024, ruling that his ill-fated power grab constituted rebellion.
The decision followed 10 months of tense court proceedings, during which Yoon remained unapologetic, insisting that his actions were a legitimate exercise of presidential authority aimed at countering his liberal rivals. The verdict delivers a measure of reckoning in what has been the country’s most destabilizing political crisis in decades.
Here are some of the key events that led to Yoon’s historic conviction:
Prosecutors say Yoon told Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun he wanted to take “emergency measures” against his liberal rivals in the National Assembly, after they used their majority to impeach senior officials and prosecutors and cut government budgets.
In a surprise announcement televised at around 10:30 p.m., Yoon tells the nation he’s declaring martial law, saying the opposition-controlled legislature has become a “den of criminals” paralyzing government affairs, and vows to “eradicate” his “anti-state” liberal opponents. Hundreds of heavily armed troops and police swarm the National Assembly.
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