Ex-South Korean President Yoon Defends Martial Law Decision, Apologizes for Suffering It Caused

A Seoul court had found the former president guilty on charges of abuse of authority and orchestrating an insurrection, sentencing him to life imprisonment.

South Korea's ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is facing charges of orchestrating a rebellion when he declared martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, arrives to attend his trial at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, on May 12, 2025. Ahn Young-joon, Pool/AP Photo

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Feb. 20 defended his decision to declare martial law in December 2024, a day after a Seoul court sentenced him to life in prison for insurrection.

In a statement released by his lawyers and published by South Korean daily newspaper Munhwa Ilbo, Yoon said that he apologized for the “frustration and hardships” caused to the people, but maintained that his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, “was solely for the benefit of the nation and its people.”