A South Korean court has handed former President Yoon Suk-yeol a life sentence after finding him guilty of imposing martial law in December 2024 and committing acts of power abuse and conspiracy to revolt. His actions were deemed a serious threat to democracy, attempting to seize control of the National Assembly with illegal means, and he could have faced the death penalty but received a lesser sentence instead.

During the brief martial law, which lasted approximately six hours, military personnel and police were heavily deployed around the parliament, preventing lawmakers from functioning freely. Despite these challenges, members of the National Assembly voted unanimously to lift the martial law, thus nullifying Yoon's emergency order. This incident raised significant questions about the stability of governance in South Korea and the balance of power between the presidency and parliament.

Yoon defended his controversial actions by claiming they were necessary to thwart 'anti-national forces' that were allegedly obstructing his governance agenda. As South Korea grapples with this ruling, the implications for the political landscape are profound, highlighting the fragility of democratic institutions and the potential for abuse of power by elected officials.