Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol appeals life sentence for leading insurrection

Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol has formally appealed the life sentence handed down by the Seoul Central District Court after being convicted of leading an insurrection tied to his Dec. 3, 2024 declaration of martial law.

Multiple outlets report his legal team filed the appeal five days after the court issued the life term and said they would challenge what they called legal errors and an overzealous indictment.

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The conviction stems from the decree to deploy troops and block the National Assembly, an action the Assembly revoked hours later and which prosecutors say aimed to detain political opponents and disable the legislature.

The Seoul Central District Court found that Yoon had ordered troops and police to the National Assembly with the intent to "paralyse" or "isolate" the legislature and to detain critics.

Presiding judge Ji Gwi‑yeon was quoted in several reports as saying Yoon sought to disable the legislature for a prolonged period.

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Prosecutors argued the December 3 decree aimed to block the Assembly from lifting martial law.

Several accounts say the Assembly revoked martial law hours after the decree.

Yoon’s lawyers have framed the appeal as a challenge to the court’s findings of fact and legal reasoning.

“SEOUL, Feb 24 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday appealed his life sentence over his insurrection conviction from his failed bid to impose martial law, Yonhap News Agency reported”

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They say they will contest what they describe as 'excessive' or 'overzealous' indictment and record objections 'for the judgment of history'.

At the same time, prosecution teams and judges have highlighted the act’s social cost.

Prosecutors had sought the death penalty in the case, noting a moratorium on executions, and a special prosecution said it will also appeal aspects of the process.

Reports also note Yoon had earlier been sentenced to five years in a related obstruction case and faces other pending trials.

Observers and multiple reports place the Dec. 3 martial law episode in a broader political crisis.

The six-hour decree sparked protests, market turmoil and alarm among allies.

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The Constitutional Court removed Yoon from office in April.

A June snap election brought Lee Jae‑myung to power.

Yoon apologised for the "hardship" caused by the decree but maintained it was taken "solely for the sake of the nation."

Others describe the appeal and trial as a next phase in one of South Korea's most serious recent political crises.