On February 20, former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol apologized for the short imposition of martial law in December 2024, one day after a Seoul court sentenced him to life imprisonment for plotting a rebellion.
In a statement released by lawyers, Mr. Yoon said that despite regretting the "disappointment and difficulties" that the martial law order caused to the people, he still defended "sincerity and purpose" in his actions.
He said that the decision of the Seoul District Court to sentence him to life imprisonment on February 19 was "precedented", and said the sentence was a retaliatory act with political motives.
Mr. Yoon also questioned whether appealing is still meaningful in an environment that he believes cannot guarantee judicial independence, and called on supporters to "unite and stand up".
His lawyers noted that this statement does not mean giving up the intention to appeal.
On December 3, 2024, Mr. Yoon's martial law decree lasted about 6 hours before being rejected by Congress, but shocked the whole country and sparked street protests.
The court concluded that Mr. Yoon committed the crime of undermining constitutional order by deploying soldiers to the National Assembly and trying to arrest opponents, closing the dramatic event that led to his destitution and imprisonment.
Mr. Yoon - who was also a former professional prosecutor - then denied the allegations, claiming that he had presidential authority to impose martial law and his actions were aimed at sounding an alarm about opposition parties hindering government activities.
During the trial lasting more than 1 year, a special prosecutor even proposed the death penalty for Mr. Yoon, even though South Korea has not enforced the death penalty since 1997.
On February 19, another prosecutor said that the prosecution team had "some regrets" about the sentence, but declined to say whether they would appeal or not.
