Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life imprisonment on February 19, 2026, by the Seoul Central District Court for attempting an insurrection in December 2024. The court found Yoon guilty of declaring martial law and deploying the military to Parliament to silence opposition, an act that paralyzed the assembly and incurred significant social costs. The judge noted Yoon's lack of remorse and the intention to cripple legislative functions. Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun received a thirty-year sentence, while the prosecution had sought the death penalty for Yoon. This conviction follows Yoon's suspension by the National Assembly, his arrest, and subsequent impeachment in April 2025, preceding the early presidential election won by his rival, Lee Jae Myung.