Updated : 2026-02-19 18:35:10 KST
We begin at the Seoul Central District Court, where former President Yoon Suk Yeol has been handed a life sentence for orchestrating an insurrection tied to his failed martial law decree. We connect with our political correspondent Moon Hye-ryeon for details. Hye-ryeon, how did the court frame its decision? Good afternoon, Dami. More than a year after declaring martial law, former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life imprisonment in a first-instance ruling that found his actions amounted to an attempt to overthrow the constitutional order.
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orchestrate 조직하다; 편성[조직화]하다; 조정하다
a first-instance ruling 1심 판결
find …라고 여기다[생각하다]
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The verdict was delivered Thursday afternoon by Chief Judge Ji Gwi-yeon at the Seoul Central District Court, with Yoon appearing in person as the proceedings were broadcast live nationwide. Chief Judge Ji began by reading the indictment, followed by determinations on guilt or innocence and an explanation of sentencing reasons before making the formal pronouncement of the verdict.
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indictment 고발장, 기소장
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During the reading, Ji said the court ruled that the deployment of military forces to the National Assembly by defendants Yoon Suk Yeol and Kim Yong-hyun was carried out with the purpose of undermining the constitutional order and constituted acts of violence sufficient to meet the legal definition of an insurrection. However, he added that there was insufficient evidence to suggest that the martial law declaration had been planned meticulously in advance.
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constitute …이 되는 것으로 여겨지다, …이 되다; …을 구성하다[이루다] (=make up)
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Seven others were also sentenced, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who received 30 years in prison, and former National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho, who was sentenced to 12 years. Prosecutors indicted Yoon in January last year, accusing him of leading an insurrection through his brief imposition of martial law on December 3rd, 2024 a measure that lasted about six hours before being lifted following a National Assembly resolution.
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National Police Agency Commissioner 경찰청장
imposition of martial law 계엄령 시행
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At closing arguments last month, the special counsel team led by Cho Eun-seok sought the maximum penalty the death sentence arguing Yoon's actions amounted to a violent uprising aimed at dismantling the liberal democratic order and that the case met the constitutional threshold for insurrection. The defense rejected that claim, saying the declaration was a symbolic warning to the opposition amid repeated impeachment motions and budget cuts, and that the immediate withdrawal of troops showed there was no intent to impose military rule.
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closing argument (변호사의) 최종 변론.
defense 피고측 변호인(단)
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And Hye-ryeon, this ruling is being described as historic. Why is this verdict so significant, and what does it mean for Yoon and for South Korea's constitutional order going forward? The ruling carries historic weight. Yoon is the third former South Korean president to face insurrection charges, following Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, who were convicted over the 1979 military coup and the 1980 Gwangju crackdown.
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crackdown 엄중 단속, 강력 탄압
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In those cases, the Supreme Court established that insurrection does not require the permanent abolition of constitutional institutions, but includes actions that render them unable to function through force or intimidation a standard repeatedly cited by lower courts and reaffirmed in this ruling. Earlier this year, separate trial panels sentenced former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to 23 years in prison and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min to seven years, explicitly characterizing the December 3rd martial law attempt as a "top-down insurrection," or what the court described as a "palace coup."
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constitutional institution 헌법기관(憲法機關)
palace coup 친위 쿠데타
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Yoon was also sentenced last month to five years in prison in a separate case involving obstruction of official duties, with judges noting that the martial law declaration could be viewed as the starting point of an insurrection offense. If the current ruling is upheld through appeals, Yoon faces one of the harshest penalties available under South Korean law for crimes against the constitutional order. Back to you, Dami. Thank you for your report, Hye-ryeon.
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uphold …을 떠받치다, 지지(支持)하다; 를 유지하다
appeal 항소(抗訴), 상고(上告)
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arirang news/Nat'l/Politics
https://m.arirang.com/news/view?id=292806