"Insurrection Ringleader" Yoon Suk Yeol Given Life at First Trial... "Insurrection to Subvert Constitutional Order"

Financial News reported that former President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to life imprisonment at the trial court on charges related to the unlawful December 3 Emergency Martial Law, including serving as the ringleader of an insurrection. The court found that last year’s martial law amounted to an act of insurrection, citing "the purpose of subverting the constitutional order" and the existence of a "riot." The ruling comes 443 days after the declaration of martial law and 389 days after Yoon was indicted. With this, Yoon becomes the third president to be convicted of insurrection, following former presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo. In addition to the insurrection and obstruction of arrest charges decided at this first trial, Yoon still faces six more criminal cases.
On the 19th, Criminal Division 25 of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Ji Gui-yeon, rejected all arguments that the December 3 Emergency Martial Law was merely a warning measure and that there was no intent to subvert the constitutional order or to incite a riot.
The court stated, "It is difficult to deny that former President Yoon harbored the inner intent to paralyze and obstruct the National Assembly’s activities for a considerable period by sending the military to blockade the legislature and arrest key politicians, thereby preventing the National Assembly from functioning properly." The court added, "It is also recognized that he deployed the military and caused a riot."
The court went on to note that Yoon had taken the lead in planning the martial law in advance and, as head of state, ordered the deployment of military and police forces. It also criticized him for showing little sign of remorse and for refusing to appear in court without any compelling reason.
However, the court took into account several mitigating factors in determining the sentence: the plan did not appear to have been drawn up with extreme precision, Yoon tried to keep the use of physical force to a minimum, and there were almost no instances of live ammunition being carried or direct physical force and violence being exercised. It also noted that most of the plans ended in failure, that Yoon has no prior criminal record, that he served as a public official for a long period, and that he is now 65 years old, which the court regarded as relatively advanced age.
Wearing a white dress shirt and a navy suit, Yoon maintained a stern expression throughout the sentencing. Even after the life sentence was announced, he kept his lips tightly closed, but when some in the gallery shouted, "Mr. President, stay strong," he turned his head and smiled.
Outside the courtroom at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong, Seoul, the moods of civic groups supporting and opposing Yoon, which had been holding rival rallies since the morning, sharply diverged as soon as the sentence was handed down. Political parties also issued sharply contrasting statements. Major foreign media outlets urgently relayed news of the verdict to their home countries.

theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo, Choi Eun-sol Reporter