Former South Korean President Sentenced to Life in Prison for Attempted Coup

What Happened?

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison for an attempted coup and for attempting to impose military rule over South Korea. In 2024, Mr. Yoon ordered the military to seal off South Korea’s parliament to prevent national lawmakers from meeting to order the arrest of several political allies of Mr. Yoon. 

South Korean lawmakers met anyway and ruled his decision to use the military was illegal, then they proceeded to impeach Mr. Yoon and remove him from office. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Mr. Yoon, but the court sentenced him to life in prison instead.

Why it Matters

Mr. Yoon’s brief deployment of the military against lawmakers in Seoul left South Korea even more divided than it was during his term as president. While some vocally supported Mr. Yoon’s move to use the military, most South Koreans reacted angrily in opposition.

Widespread protests took place across South Korea in 2024 in opposition to Mr. Yoon. Mr. Yoon is now the fifth former president of South Korea to be arrested and convicted of criminal conduct after leaving office.

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On December 3, 2024, then President Yoon declared martial law on live television, claiming that the move was necessary to protect South Korea from ‘anti-government’ forces loyal to North Korea. North Korea denied having anything to do with the situation.

Mr. Yoon’s critics alleged the imposition of martial law was not only illegal, but an attempted coup designed to protect Mr. Yoon’s political allies from prosecution for corruption. 

Following a dramatic vote in South Korea’s parliament in December 2024 with elements of the military still present in Seoul, Mr. Yoon was impeached and later convicted, and removed from office.

His sentence is the harshest yet handed down to any of the five former South Korean presidents convicted of criminal conduct after their term of office ended. After Mr. Yoon’s conviction, several more members of his administration were charged and convicted of a wide range of criminal offenses. 

North Korea ramped up its propaganda campaign against South Korea following the incidents, seeking to exploit the political chaos the convictions of the Yoon administration had caused. Despite the turmoil, South Korea remains a key U.S. ally in the Pacific region, home to thousands of U.S. military personnel and assets that could be used in a potential conflict with North Korea or China. 

How it Affects You

South Korea is not the only country to convict former Presidents of criminal conduct in recent years, France and Brazil have also charged and imprisoned former Presidents. Recently, the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and charged him with a number of drug related crimes. 

Criminal conduct by presidential office holders represents significant and dangerous challenges to the rule of law, and each time a nation’s president is charged with criminal offenses, the potential for violent unrest or even civil war increases.

*Disclaimer: Energy Exploration Technologies, Inc. (“EnergyX”) has engaged Shortlysts to publish this communication in connection with EnergyX’s ongoing Regulation A offering. Shortlysts has been paid in cash and may receive additional compensation. Shortlysts and/or its affiliates do not currently hold securities of EnergyX. This compensation and any current or future ownership interest could create a conflict of interest. Please consider this disclosure alongside EnergyX’s offering materials. EnergyX’s Regulation A offering has been qualified by the SEC. Offers and sales may be made only by means of the qualified offering circular. Before investing, carefully review the offering circular, including the risk factors. The offering circular is available at invest.energyx.com/.