MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Today, a South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison for leading an insurrection. This verdict is an aftermath of one of South Korea's biggest political crises in decades. Haeryun Kang reports from Seoul.
UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: (Speaking Korean).
HAERYUN KANG, BYLINE: Inside a tense courtroom, a judge announced the long-awaited verdict, a life sentence. Over a year ago, Yoon declared martial law, South Korea's first in 45 years. This massive scandal would oust Yoon from power and indict over 120 people in investigations by special prosecutors.
KIM YUNJIN: (Speaking Korean).
KANG: Outside the courthouse, Kim Yunjin (ph), an anti-Yoon protester, yelled to the crowd, quote, "this means victory for the great sovereign people of Korea."
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Chanting in Korean).
(SOUNDBITE OF BANGING)
KANG: Also outside, thousands of Yoon supporters had gathered. They argue that the ruling is a politicized farce. They say the martial law was justified, but they are the minority. Polls show most South Koreans oppose Yoon's martial law declaration in December 2024.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting in Korean).
KANG: On the night of martial law, armed military were blockading and breaking into the national assembly. They also raided election headquarters with Yoon alleging election fraud. The shocking event ended in just six hours by a parliamentary vote, and within 11 days, Yoon was impeached. He was then formally removed from office in April 2025. Kim Hae-won, a law professor at Pusan National University, says Yoon's martial law declaration shook the foundation of Korean democracy.
KIM HAE-WON: (Through interpreter) This was a president using martial law to round up the military, to attack the national assembly, which exists to protect the people. He was elected by the people, now aiming guns at the people.
KANG: Yoon has one week to appeal. He faces six more criminal trials on separate charges. He still maintains that the martial law was a warning against his opposition, whom he claims were, quote, "anti-state North Korean sympathizers." Yoon has a long legal battle ahead, and for his country, today's verdict is only the beginning. Here is Kim Hae-won again.
KIM: (Through interpreter) Our task is to recover the norms of constitutional order as a nation that actually practices the values of our constitution.
KANG: Kim says this is a moment for South Koreans to reflect collectively. The martial law crisis goes far beyond Yoon, involving former cabinet ministers, military commanders and intelligence chiefs. And the systems that enabled Yoon in the first place still exist. For NPR News, I'm Haeryun Kang from Seoul. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
