A South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of abusing power and leading a plan to impose military rule in December 2024. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, according to The Japan Times. Under South Korean law, the maximum punishment for masterminding a rebellion is either death or life imprisonment. The country last issued a death sentence in 2016 but has not carried out any executions since 1997.

The 65-year-old former president received the sentence for his failed attempt to declare military rule. Yoon is expected to appeal the verdict, and any decision by the appellate court could later be challenged in the Supreme Court. He is already serving a sentence for issuing an order to impose military rule, while two other cases against him remain pending.

Hundreds of Yoon’s supporters gathered outside the courthouse during the verdict announcement, with the crowd reportedly larger than during a previous ruling last month.