Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is continuing his legal battle by appealing his rebellion conviction after a lower court found him guilty of declaring martial law in 2024 and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Last week, Seoul Central District Court delivered a landmark verdict in South Korean politics, convicting Yoon Suk-yeol of leading an insurrection aimed at paralyzing the National Assembly and sentencing him to life in prison.
On Tuesday (24 Feb), Yoon's legal team announced they had filed an appeal, strongly criticizing the court's ruling, stating, "We have a responsibility to clearly document the issues with this verdict, not only in the court record but also before the judgment of future history."
On 3 December 2024, Yoon appeared on late-night television to announce the suspension of the civilian government and the imposition of martial law, citing threats from North Korean influence and anti-government groups.
This decision sent shockwaves across the country, but the martial law was lifted about six hours later after emergency sessions and a vote by legislators to end the measure.
This move was widely criticized as a failed martial law attempt that sparked sudden protests, caused stock market instability, and left key military ally the United States stunned.
Yoon was impeached in April last year, leading to an emergency election in June in which Lee Jae-myung won and became the new president.
Although the lower court handed down the harshest sentence of life imprisonment, the appeal means that the rebellion case against the former South Korean leader will continue through several more stages, with the final judgment still pending.
. Source:The Korea Herald
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