The Seoul Central District Court sentenced former President Yoon Suk-yeol to life imprisonment for his role as the chief instigator of insurrection. In response, numerous civic organizations praised the ruling as a justified outcome while expressing disappointment over the leniency of the sentence. They emphasized the necessity of institutional changes, such as constitutional revisions and special laws to end insurrection, to prevent a recurrence of such threats to democracy.

Civic groups, including the Participatory Justice and the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, highlighted the ruling as a historical condemnation of Yoon and his associates for abusing the power entrusted to them by the people. They asserted that the ruling confirmed the commitment to hold those who attempt to undermine democracy accountable. However, there were also concerns about the severity of the sentence, given that the court had the option to impose the death penalty for insurrection leadership but opted for life imprisonment due to the failure of most plans and the absence of previous criminal records for Yoon.

Critics pointed out that the court did not recognize the ultimate goal of Yoon's insurrection as establishing a personal dictatorship, a significant oversight in the verdict. Additionally, the lenient sentencing of co-defendants, such as former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, and some questionable not-guilty verdicts highlighted the limitations of the current constitution in preventing the abuse of power by leaders. Civic groups called for a reassessment of the judicial outcomes to better align with public expectations and to ensure an effective check on authority.