Seoul – Five former senior South Korean military officers were sentenced to up to 18 years in prison on Monday for their roles in the country’s short-lived martial law declaration in 2024. Then-South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in December that year, ordering special forces and helicopters to the National Assembly in an unsuccessful bid to prevent members from voting down the move. He also sent armed soldiers to the country’s election commission to hunt for purported evidence of voter fraud.
According to a court statement Monday, former Defense Counterintelligence Command chief Yeo In-hyung was sentenced to 18 years in prison, while Lee Jin-woo — former head of the Capital Defense Command — was given 15 years. Prosecutors had sought 30-year prison terms for both. Park An-su, a former army chief of staff who was designated as the martial law commander, was sentenced to 10 years.
Moon Sang-ho, a former head of the Defense Intelligence Command who attempted to seize control of the National Election Commission, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Kwak Jong-keun, former chief of the Army Special Warfare Command, was given nine years. Apart from Kwak, the accused officers denied all charges and said they were wrongly accused.
In July, Kwak said he “deeply regretted” sending his “beloved subordinates” to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission when martial law was declared. According to a prosecution indictment report, Yoon told Lee that military forces could shoot if necessary to enter the National Assembly. He also told Lee on the night of martial law to “drag out” politicians if necessary and for Kwak to “quickly get inside” the National Assembly since the quorum for the martial law declaration to be lifted had not been met.
Yoon was sentenced to life in prison for insurrection in February and is currently appealing.
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