After guilty verdict, defiant Yoon insists martial law was sincere attempt to help nation

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol defended his decision to impose emergency martial law in 2024 as an act taken for the country’s survival, even as he apologized to the public one day after receiving a life sentence for leading an insurrection.

In a statement released through his lawyers on Friday, Yoon said his judgment at the time was driven entirely by national interest.

“My decision to declare the Dec. 3 emergency martial law was made solely for the state and the people,” he said. “My sincerity and purpose in making that decision remain unchanged.”

Yoon accused political forces of distorting his actions as a bid to overthrow constitutional order. “Those who seek to smear this as an insurrection and turn it into an opportunity to purge and eliminate their opponents will only become more aggressive,” he said.

He also issued a public apology, acknowledging the fallout that followed the failed martial law attempt.

“It was a decision to save the nation, but because of my shortcomings, it ultimately caused many of you frustration and hardship,” Yoon said. “For that, I offer my deepest apology.”

Yoon’s remarks came a day after the Seoul Central District Court found him guilty of mobilizing military units to pressure the National Assembly in an effort to suspend democratic functions. The life sentence marks the most severe punishment handed down to a former Korean president in the post-democratization era.

In the statement, Yoon also questioned the value of pursuing an appeal in what he called a compromised judicial environment, though his lawyers later clarified he is not dropping the case.

“When judicial independence cannot be assured, I question what meaning an appeal would even have,” he said.

Yoon closed by saying he would shoulder responsibility alone and urged the public to remain vigilant about Korea’s democratic trajectory.