The sentence for Yoon resulted from his attempt to impose martial law, which the court recognized as a serious crime.
Han Duck-soo, his former prime minister, was found guilty of aiding Yoon's attempt to impose martial law and violating the process of holding cabinet meetings to approve the ex-president's decree.
Han became the first high-ranking official of Yoon to be convicted in this case; he was followed by former Minister of the Interior Lee Sang-min, who received a seven-year prison sentence.
Yoon Suk-yeol is not unique on the list of South Korean leaders whose careers ended in scandal and disgrace.
Here are some former presidents whose political paths were tragically interrupted.
- The first president of the country, Syngman Rhee, resigned after his re-election in 1960 sparked mass protests. He ultimately fled to Hawaii, where he died in 1965.
- The military leader Park Chung-hee staged a coup in 1961 and became president, but his rule turned authoritarian, and he was ultimately killed by his intelligence chief.
- The military commander Chun Doo-hwan came to power after a coup in 1980 and became known as a dictator. In 1996, he and his successor Roh Tae-woo were convicted of corruption and involvement in the Gwangju massacre but were later pardoned.
- The human rights advocate Roh Moo-hyun became president in 2002, but after his term ended, he faced corruption charges, which led to his suicide.
- The former CEO of Hyundai Lee Myung-bak won the elections in 2007, but his successor, Park Chung-hee's daughter, Park Geun-hye, was convicted of corruption. Lee was also convicted of bribery; both received prison sentences but were later pardoned.
