In a nationally televised trial, the Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence over his botched Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, lighter than the death penalty prosecutors had sought at Yoon's final hearing last month.
The court found Yoon guilty of resorting to declare martial law, which it deemed an act of insurrection in violation of the Constitution, ruling that his actions "fundamentally undermined the core values of democracy" and were "highly blameworthy."
The court also pointed out that Yoon had sought to cripple the National Assembly by mobilizing police and military troops, severely damaging political neutrality, while South Korea's international credibility took a sharp hit, leaving society deeply divided.
The court also cited the enormous social costs of the fallout, from a new presidential election to large-scale investigations and trials, saying the full extent of the damage could not be calculated.
The court said a heavy sentence was unavoidable for Yoon, given that he had taken the lead in orchestrating the debacle and shown no remorse. However it considered some mitigating factors that the bid was short-lived, poorly executed, and that he had no prior criminal record.
Yoon was ousted from the presidency on April 4 last year after the Constitutional Court of Korea unanimously upheld his impeachment.
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