A former president of South Korea has avoided the death penalty after he was found guilty of masterminding an insurrection during his botched attempt to place the country under martial law. South Korea's former President Yoon Suk Yeol has been found guilty of leading an insurrection in December 2024. Pictured: Yoon arrives to attend the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, 23 January 2025. Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul on December 4 2024, after South Korea's then President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial lawPolice officers close the gate of the National Assembly, after martial law was declared, in Seoul, South Korea, December 4, 2024. Last month, Yoon was sentenced to five years in prison for resisting arrest, fabricating the martial law proclamation and sidestepping a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting before declaring a measure.

Source: Daily Mail February 20, 2026 01:03 UTC