Judge Ji Gwi-yeon and the court recognized defendant Yoon Seok-yeol and Kim Yong-hyun as leaders of a rebellion and sentenced Yoon Seok-yeol to life imprisonment based on the first trial results of the rebellion case.
Life imprisonment!!
This is the minimum sentence for the crime of rebellion.
There are only two possible sentences: death and life imprisonment. So, this means it is the lightest possible sentence for the crime of rebellion.
The special prosecutor sought the death penalty...
Judge Ji Gwi-yeon cited the reason for leniency as the failed rebellion.
In the end, it is said that leniency was granted because it failed... So, if by any chance it had succeeded, would there have been a trial at all? The saying that 'a successful coup cannot be punished' from the trial process of Chun Doo-hwan comes to mind.
So why did it fail?
First, it seems that Yoon Seok-yeol really is foolish, so let's not mention that.
Second, on April 4 of last year, the Constitutional Court stated that there was no two-hour rebellion by Yoon Seok-yeol. Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae said, 'The National Assembly was able to quickly pass the resolution to lift the martial law thanks to the military's passive response to illegal orders despite the resistance and commands from the citizens.' Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was involved in the rebellion, also clearly stated in the ruling, '(The martial law was lifted immediately) is due to the courage of the citizens who defended the National Assembly against the armed martial law troops with their bare bodies. It is certainly not due to the participants of the 12.3 rebellion.'
In summary, it can be said that the suspect Yoon Seok-yeol and the martial law forces supporting him reached a result where the victim (the citizens) defended themselves with their bare bodies, leading to leniency. Truly~ it is an irony that cannot be laughed at.
Last week, I read an article stating that former and current political scientists from the World Political Science Association recommended the entire population of South Korea for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Perhaps this is the first time in Nobel Prize history that an entire nation's population has been nominated? If awarded, this would also be a first, and we would become a country that holds three Nobel Prizes.
It is bittersweet.
To think that the president of one's own country is a Nobel Prize nominee due to a failed rebellion...