Former President Yoon Suk Yeol Found Guilty Of Insurrection After Deploying Troops To Parliament

In a historic and dramatic ruling, a South Korean court on Thursday sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of masterminding an insurrection linked to his controversial December 2024 martial law attempt.

The decision marks one of the most consequential political trials in modern South Korean history.

Why Yoon Was Handed Life In Prison

The court ruled that Yoon conspired with then-Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun to undermine the constitutional order by deploying armed troops to the National Assembly.

Judge Jee Kui-youn said sending soldiers to parliament and attempting arrests amounted to acts of insurrection. The declaration of martial law, which lasted roughly six hours before being overturned by lawmakers, triggered mass protests and a nationwide political crisis.

Prosecutors had sought the death penalty — the maximum punishment under South Korean law — but the court instead imposed life imprisonment. South Korea has not carried out an execution since 1997.

Kim received 30 years in prison, while other former officials were also convicted.

What Yoon Said In His Defense

Yoon denied wrongdoing, arguing that as president he had the authority to declare martial law. He claimed the move was meant to counter what he described as obstruction by opposition parties.

His legal team has indicated plans to appeal the verdict. Yoon remains detained at the Seoul Detention Centre and can challenge the ruling at both appellate court and Supreme Court levels.

Shockwaves Across South Korea

The brief martial law attempt stunned the nation, which is Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a key ally of the United States. The crisis tested the resilience of South Korea’s democracy and deepened political divisions.

Current President Lee Jae Myung, who won a snap election following Yoon’s removal, praised citizens for peacefully resisting the move.

In a post on X, Lee said the outcome was possible “because it was the Republic of Korea,” applauding the public’s defence of democracy.

What Happens Next?

Judicial guidelines suggest the appeals process could stretch up to two years. Yoon is also appealing a separate five-year sentence handed down earlier this year in another case.

For now, South Korea watches as one of its most dramatic political chapters unfolds — a former president sentenced to life for an insurrection that lasted just six hours, but shook a nation to its core.

Rescue teams race against time near Castle Peak as a powerful winter storm fuels treacherous avalanche conditions in Northern California.

A terrifying avalanche near Lake Tahoe has left 10 backcountry skiers missing while six others have been rescued in what officials are calling a rapidly evolving emergency.

The massive slide struck Tuesday morning near Castle Peak, a popular backcountry skiing destination northwest of Lake Tahoe, as a group was wrapping up a guided three-day trip. Authorities say the avalanche hit around 11:30 a.m. local time, prompting an urgent 911 call to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.

What Happened on the Mountain

According to officials and tour organizers, the group consisted of four ski guides and 12 clients. The skiers were reportedly in the process of returning to the trailhead when the avalanche roared through the area.

In a statement, Blackbird Mountain Guides confirmed:

“The group was in the process of returning to the trailhead at the conclusion of a three-day trip when the incident occurred.”

So far, six individuals who were stranded have been rescued. However, search efforts continue for the remaining missing skiers as heavy snowfall and dangerous conditions complicate operations.

Massive Multi-Agency Rescue Effort

Authorities described the situation as “fluid,” warning that details could change rapidly.

Captain Russell Greene of the sheriff’s office told reporters that rescue teams are actively contacting families of those involved.

The response has been extensive, involving:

• Nevada County Search and Rescue
• California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
• Placer County Sheriff’s Office
• Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue
• Washoe County Sheriff’s Office
• Washoe County Search and Rescue
• Truckee Fire

Trained ski patrol rescue teams from nearby resorts have also joined the mission, navigating treacherous terrain and severe weather to locate survivors.

Storm Conditions Fueling Avalanche Danger

The avalanche occurred as Northern California is being battered by a powerful winter storm bringing heavy snowfall, gale-force winds, and dangerous thunderstorms.

The Sierra Avalanche Center, based in Truckee, had already issued warnings about high avalanche danger across the Central Sierra Nevada and the Greater Lake Tahoe region.

Officials warned that:

• Rapidly accumulating snowfall
• Fragile snowpack layers
• Gale-force winds

were creating ideal conditions for large, destructive avalanches.

Brandon Schwartz, the Tahoe National Forest’s lead avalanche forecaster, said:

“It’s particularly dangerous in the backcountry right now just because we’re at the height of the storm.”

Unlike ski resorts along major highways — which use avalanche mitigation programs to control slides — backcountry areas like Castle Peak do not have those protections. Authorities had strongly discouraged travel in or below avalanche-prone terrain.

Resorts Closed, Warnings Ignored

Several ski resorts around Lake Tahoe were partially or fully closed due to extreme weather conditions. While controlled resort areas are generally monitored and stabilized, the backcountry remains unpredictable.

Experts note that backcountry skiing, while increasingly popular, carries inherent risks — especially during active storm cycles. Avalanche conditions can shift within hours, making even experienced groups vulnerable.

Families Waiting, Search Continues

Officials have not yet released the identities of those missing. Rescue teams are racing against time as snow continues to fall and temperatures remain low.

Authorities stress that this remains an active and developing emergency.

For now, the focus remains on locating the missing skiers and safely navigating a mountainside that experts say is among the most dangerous it has been all season

With a historic supermajority behind her, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is accelerating defense spending, challenging China, and testing the limits of Japan’s pacifist constitution.

Japan has entered a new political era. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) have secured a landslide parliamentary victory — one powerful enough to reshape the country’s postwar security identity.

For the first time since its founding in 1955, the LDP now controls a two-thirds supermajority in Japan’s lower house. That margin is not symbolic — it is transformative. It gives Takaichi the political muscle to override opposition resistance and pursue constitutional revisions that once seemed politically impossible.

The question echoing across Asia now is simple but profound: Is Japan about to shed its pacifist skin and become a more assertive military power?

Continuing Shinzo Abe’s Vision of a “Strong Japan”

akaichi has openly positioned herself as the political heir to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who famously pledged to “restore a strong Japan.”

During Abe’s eight-year tenure, Japan adopted what he called “proactive pacifism.” That phrase marked a subtle but significant shift. Under his leadership, Japan:

• Strengthened the Self-Defense Forces
• Lifted long-standing bans on arms exports
• Deepened ties with NATO and the European Union
• Expanded the Quad partnership with Australia, India, and the United States
• Reinterpreted the constitution in 2014 to allow “collective self-defense”

That reinterpretation meant Japan could aid an ally under attack — a dramatic departure from decades of rigid pacifism.

Takaichi now wants to take those reforms even further.

Confronting China and the Taiwan Question:

Shortly after becoming prime minister, Takaichi triggered diplomatic friction with Xi Jinping’s government by suggesting Japan would come to Taiwan’s defense if China launched an attack.

Beijing reacted swiftly.

China issued sharp warnings, applied economic pressure, and discouraged Chinese tourism to Japan. Officials accused Takaichi of destabilizing the region and threatening the international order.

But the prime minister did not retreat.

Instead, she appears to be using China’s assertiveness as political leverage at home. Public sentiment in Japan has shifted significantly in recent years amid rising concerns about Chinese military activity in the East China Sea and around Taiwan.

Following the election, 69% of voters expressed approval of Takaichi’s cabinet performance — a sign that the electorate may be more open to defense expansion than at any point since World War II.

A Military Expansion at Record Speed

Takaichi’s government is preparing to revise Japan’s 2022 National Security Strategy. Her approach blends national security with economic and industrial policy — what she calls “crisis management.”

Despite Japan’s mounting public debt, she has already increased defense spending to 2% of GDP ahead of schedule, aligning with NATO benchmarks. And she has pledged to go further.

Key proposals include:

• Acquiring nuclear-powered submarines
• Further deregulating arms exports
• Allowing the transfer of lethal weapons
• Expanding intelligence capabilities
• Establishing a National Intelligence Bureau modeled after the CIA
• Passing a new anti-spy law

Japan has already taken bold steps. It permitted exports of Patriot PAC-3 air defense systems to the United States to replenish stocks sent to Ukraine and Israel. It agreed to sell Mogami-class frigates to Australia and is co-developing a next-generation fighter jet with Italy and the United Kingdom.

While Japan’s military aid to Ukraine remains non-lethal, participation in NATO-led initiatives signals a widening security role far beyond East Asia.

A Turning Point for Asia

Ten years ago, Angela Merkel was described as the “leader of the free world.” Today, some commentators are calling Takaichi the “world’s most powerful woman.”

Whether that title proves accurate will depend on how she balances assertiveness with diplomacy.

If Japan rewrites its pacifist constitution, expands arms exports, and deepens security ties with NATO, it could alter the balance of power across the Indo-Pacific.

Yet the risks are equally significant. A more militarized Japan could provoke stronger reactions from China and heighten regional tensions.

For now, one thing is certain:

Japan is no longer quietly sitting on the sidelines of global security politics. Under Sanae Takaichi, it is preparing to step forward — boldly and unapologetically.