On the 19th, the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Ji Kwi-yeon, sentenced former President Yoon Suk-yeol to life imprisonment for leading a rebellion. This judgment sparked strong backlash from Gwangju civic organizations, who released a statement criticizing the ruling and claiming that failing to impose the death penalty on Yoon represents a failure to deliver even the most basic form of justice. They expressed outrage that the judiciary appeared to grant immunity to Yoon and his associates while neglecting extensive evidence against them.

The Gwangju Citizens' Coalition expressed particular concern that the court only recognized a limited set of actions as crimes, including the incursion upon the National Assembly and the election commission, while ignoring significant evidence related to the participation of other key figures in the uprising. They argued that the ruling seemed to reflect a bias towards protecting those in power rather than ensuring accountability, claiming that the judiciary itself has been complicit in the rebellion.

The coalition called for a comprehensive investigation into the rebellion and related charges, insisting that the judiciary must be reformed to reflect true justice. They emphasized that the absence of a death sentence for Yoon represents not only an injustice for the victims but also a dangerous precedent that undermines the rule of law and democracy in Korea. Their statement calls for greater accountability and transparency from the judicial system to prevent future abuses of power.