South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk Yeol has been found guilty of masterminding an insurrection over his short-lived imposition of martial law in 2024.

The Seoul Central District Court ruled on Thursday that Yoon was the leader of the December 3, 2024 insurrection in a case where prosecutors had sought the death penalty for the disgraced ex-president, who was impeached and removed from office over his declaration of martial law.

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“As to defendant Yoon Suk Yeol, the crime of insurrection leadership is established,” Presiding Judge Ji Gwi-yeon told the court.

According to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, the court found that the core fact of Yoon’s martial law case was that he sent the military to the National Assembly in December 2024.

The court also ruled that Yoon intended to prevent and paralyse the National Assembly from functioning properly for a significant period of time, but rejected the special prosecutor’s claim that Yoon planned to establish a long-term dictatorship, according to Yonhap.

Yoon, 65, has maintained his innocence throughout his court appearances, arguing that he had presidential authority to declare martial law and that his decision was aimed at preventing opposition political parties from obstructing the work of government.

This is a breaking news story. More to follow shortly.