Published On 5/14/2026
On Thursday, the Seoul Court of Appeals begins its first official session in the trial of former South Korean President Yeon Suk-yeol on charges of leading a rebellion by trying to impose martial law in 2024.
A lower court earlier sentenced the former South Korean president to life imprisonment.
The appeal trial comes three months after Yoon was convicted over his failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024, when troops were deployed to seal off the National Assembly building.
Both the former president and the prosecutor, who called for the death penalty, filed an appeal against the ruling issued by the court of first instance.
News reports stated that the former president’s legal team submitted a request to disqualify the three judges in the trial, which may affect the conduct of the proceedings.
By law, court proceedings must be suspended until such requests are decided, although exceptions can be made in urgent cases.
The trial will also consider the cases of seven other officials regarding their role in trying to impose martial law, including former Defense Minister Kim Young-hyun, who was sentenced by the court of first instance to 30 years in prison.
The imprisoned former president is subject to a total of eight trials related to the attempt to impose martial law, as well as the corruption allegations against his wife and the case of the death of a Marine in 2023.
